Return To Joy
by jaileyjames
Summary: What happens when chemistry goes off the charts? - A JLs fanfic.
1. A Face To Call Home

_**AN:**_ Hi! I thought I'd write something about the JLs because they're one of the greatest things about this fandom and just like me, many of you can't get enough of them. Please give me some feedback so I know if I should continue writing this or not. I'd also like to ask you to be kind and go easy on me when it comes to grammar and such, once I'm not a native speaker. Thank you very much in advance :) Love, Carolina ( jaileyjames on twitter)

James sat on the big white couch in the green room, his head hanging low, fidgeting with his fingers.

"You ready to play?"

The sound of her voice made him perk up instantly and he could've sworn he'd heard angels sing when he looked up and saw her face.

"Joy, hi!" he stuttered, standing up immediately and pecking her cheek, giving her a warm hug.

"You look great, baby J." she smiled, rubbing his arm up and down quickly before giving him a pat on the back and being on her way, saying hi to the rest of the cast. She looked even more beautiful, if that was possible. Her dark blonde hair barely touched her shoulders and her smile never wavered. The ache in his heart was eased by the sight of her. They hadn't seen each other in a year, since the last convention they both attended, their hectic schedules driving them away from each other. As much as he'd hate to admit it to anyone, he missed her.

Rob saw him following her with his eyes from the other side of the room and chuckled to himself. He always knew James had a soft spot for Joy. Everyone in the cast and crew was well aware. Everyone but Joy, who was oblivious to the way he always blushed when she spoke to him and the way he let out a cute little nervous laugh whenever she teased him.

"You seriously need to get it over with, buddy." Rob advised, shaking his head. "It's been what, 13 years?"

James rolled his eyes, burying his hands in his pockets. "C'mon man, I just broke up with my girlfriend."

Robert's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree and a giddy smile crept up on his lips.

"VanSanten!" he shouted to the blonde beauty who was on the phone with a fan. "Pay up, doofus!"

"Did you bet on how much time my relationship would last...again?" James huffed, annoyed by his friend's lack of sensibility.

"Sorry dude, I just really love to make money at your expense. Plus, Shantel's going to have to wear a clown nose for the whole day because of this. " Rob shrugged in response. "Look, as I see it, this is your chance. From what I've heard, she's pretty much single. You're single. When was the last time you two were single at the same time? That's right, never. This is how it's going to go down: you finally get it over with this weekend and we all live happily ever after. I promise it won't hurt." he added, giving him a thumbs up. James looked at him baffled, incredulous with his honesty and how he was so forward about this particular subject.

"You're really annoying, did you know that?" he conceded, sighing and turning his back on his friend, deciding to go up to Joy and spend some time with her. God, she looked stunning.

Robert took this as a chance to slap James' butt, proudly chanting "Go get her, tiger!"

James chuckled nervously, trying to ignore the butterflies in his stomach. _God, James, get it together man!_ he thought, trying to shake away the feeling he was inevitably going to make a fool of himself.

When she saw him approaching, the wonderful smile that decorated her face grew wider. "Come here!" Joy urged, motioning for him to move faster. "I've been getting tweets for weeks asking me for a Naley reunion picture. Do you mind taking one with me?" she asked kindly, her big brown eyes looking up at him, completely mesmerizing him. "James?" He was snapped back to reality by her voice, a coy smile forming on his lips as he managed to stammer a quick "Of course!" without sounding too desperate. "I think we should make it a really cute couple-y picture." Joy proposed, handing her phone to Ashley.

"Yeah, sure." he conceded. "I think I know what you mean."

He stood behind her, resting his chin on her shoulder and snaking his arms around her waist, laying his hands on her stomach. Her smell was inebriating and sweet, just like her.

"Okay, are you ready?" Ashley asked.

Joy nodded and James stood still, his trademark smirk making an appearance once again.

"I think everyone's going to go crazy over these." Ashley added, handing the phone back to Joy, who started looking through the pictures that were taken.

"We're definitely going to break the internet. " Joy announced cheerfully as she raised her fist for him to bump. He did so and took her phone, agreeing with her statement. They looked so happy. He accidentaly swiped right once more, a picture of Maria popping up. "Is that...?"

"Yeah, that's my little girl. She's been growing up more and more every day." she gushed. He gave her a loving look before letting his mouth work faster than his brain "She's beautiful, she certainly takes after her mother."

Joy blushed slightly, swatting at his arm playfully. "How are you always such a charmer?"

As he was about to reply, he heard his name being called. "Hey little bro, we're doing reunion pics now? You know the Scott brothers are on high demand..." Chad chimed in.

James sighed, almost exasperated.

"Go ahead. We have plenty of time to catch up." Joy pointed out, seeming to be reading his mind.

He reluctantly agreed, heading over to Chad and posing for pictures.

Joy picked up a bottle of water from the refreshments table, distracted by thoughts of him.

"Is it just me or does he get more attractive every year that goes by?" Ashley popped out of nowhere, startling her.

"Who?" she inquired, looking around the room.

"What do you mean "who"? James, who else? Have you seen those arms?"

Ashley was certainly right. He aged like fine wine. James had always been beyond cute, but as years went by he turned from cute to extremely handsome. Joy bit her lip when she thought about how close he had been to her neck, flashbacks of every kiss he had planted there for nine years flooding back into her mind.

"Oh, yeah... He does look good." she mustered, slightly flustered.

"Good is an understatement." Ashley winked, picking up a water bottle and leaving her alone with her thoughts, mindlessly wandering around looking for a bathroom where she could freshen up before the Q&A panel.

"Good to be back with the hubby?"

"Jesus Christ, Rob, you scared the life out of me." Joy shrieked, placing both hands over her heart.

"Sorry... So, as I was saying, excited to be back with the husband?"

"James?"

"The one and only." Rob nodded.

"It's really good to see him."

"You know, he could really use your support right now..."

"Why, what happened?" Joy furrowed her brows in confusion.

"He just broke up with his girlfriend."

Joy ignored the pang of jealousy she felt when Robert mentioned James' girlfriend and the way her heart soared when she realised the words "break up" had left his mouth. In spite of that, she felt sad for him. She couldn't fathom James being in pain, she cared too much about him.

"That's awful." she lamented, frowning slightly.

"Yeah...Look, he could really use a friendly face. Show him some love if you can." Rob suggested in response, holding her by the shoulders.

"Okay?"

"Thanks Joy, you're a peach." he crowed, leading her back to the green room, just in time to hear the assistant call her name for the panel.

She eyed James, still stuck taking pictures with Chad, sending him a sympathetic look. He winked at her and came over.

Joy intertwined her arm with his. "Let's go, partner."

The crowd cheered in glee as they walked out arm in arm, climbing on the improvised stage set up for the convention. James led her to the couch, waiting for her to sit before he did the same, keeping a safe distance from her mesmerizing presence.

Joy noticed the distance he had put between them and leaned in, gently touching his toned arm."You know, you can come closer. Promise I won't bite." she whispered in his ear, sending chills through his entire body. He reluctantly scooted closer to her, goosebumps covering his skin as she nodded in approval.

The first question came from the left side of the room. A young girl almost jumped up from her seat, eagerly grabbing the microphone that was handed to her. "Hi guys! Gilmore Girls had a revival last year, would you be willing to come back to Tree Hill as Nathan and Haley?"

"Absolutely. Nathan is such a big part of who I am, I would love to bring him back to life again. I think everyone would agree to come back, you need to hit up Mark for that one!" James promptly answered, looking at Joy from time to time. "Joy?"

"Yeah, I would love to eventually play Haley again. It would certainly be something I wouldn't have to think twice about if it came up in a few years."

"Where do you think Nathan and Haley are right now?"

"Probably at home, looking after their five children, making some more." James replied, smiling at Joy.

"Yep, Haley's still singing and running Karen's Caffé and Nathan's finding the next big athlete."

"What was it like working alongside each other for nine years?" This time the question came from the back of the room.

"Oh, awful!" Joy scoffed. "Can you imagine having to make-out with this guy every day?" she teased, pointing at James.

"Yeah, just horrible. No chemistry whatsoever. Dreaded every single day of it." he followed, hearing the fans laugh at their playful bickering.

"It was great, we had so much fun together." she concluded, resting her hand on his leg.

"Yeah." James agreed, hoping people didn't notice the way his cheeks flushed when he felt her touch. "Joy's an amazing partner in crime, we were the dream team. I'm very thankful for the time we spent together."

"Do you have any funny on set stories you could share with us?"

"Joy used to taunt me all the time because of the Britney Spears poster I kept in my trailer."

Joy broke into a fit of laughter, remembering the weird semi-nude picture of a 19-year-old Britney Spears that was taped to the mirror in his trailer everyone in the cast and crew had made fun of him for.

"During one of our infamous rain scenes we had been kissing for about five minutes or so without stopping and no one would say cut. Eventually we stopped, completely drenched and cold, noticing no one was behind the cameras. As it turned out, Sophia had brought Patch with her to work and everyone was playing with him outside. It was really embarrassing and awkward because we had to explain to Mark and the crew what we had been doing while dripping wet." She hid behind James, trying to avoid everyone's gaze after her confession.

The fans broke into hysterics, typing quickly on their phones, letting everyone in the fandom know about the story no one ever heard of until now.

"If this is how they react to what we're saying imagine what will happen when you post the picture." James laughed as Joy gained composure.

"Since we're discussing kisses, it's been five years since the last Naley kiss. Would you consider kissing one more time for the fans?"

James' eyes grew wide as he was left completely speechless. Of course he had thought about kissing her again, but not in front of everyone, not a stage kiss. A kiss like the one they shared that afternoon when no one would say cut. He never told her, but he had noticed the set was empty way before he reluctantly stopped and moved away from her.

Joy thought about her next move briefly before softly grabbing his face and slowly kissing his cheek. She knew he always blushed when she improvised, but she had no idea about the effect she had on him.

"There you go. A Naley kiss."

Everyone in the room swooned over the perfect pair, clapping before the next question was posed.

Backstage, Shantel and Rob were watching the panel on a TV set up for that purpose. She was wearing the clown nose, as promised, and he rubbed his hands against each other, overjoyed by the turn of events.

"Want to make another bet?" he suggested, wiggling his eyebrows.

"I'm pretty sure I'll probably lose and I'm not willing to wear this thing ever again." Shantel sighed in response.

"Oh come on!" Robert whimpered when Joy pecked James' cheek.

"What's wrong?" Sophia sat down next to the blonde best friends, eating an apple.

"They had the perfect opportunity to kiss and she went for the cheek!" he protested.

"Rob's very passionate about James and Joy's platonic relationship." Shantel explained.

"They do make a really cute couple." Sophia agreed, leaning back on the couch.

"James is too shy to do anything about his 13-year-long crush and Joy seems to have no idea he practically faints whenever she looks his way. We seriously need to intervene."

"This is exactly like that Anne Hathaway movie where the main characters are friends for twenty years before finally shacking up together. They'll come around to it."

"VanSanten, Anne dies in the end. They could've had it all without having to wait twenty years." Rob reasoned, rolling his eyes.

"Don't go all Hitch on them, Buckley." Shantel warned.

Sophia chuckled, recording a snap of them giving each other pointed looks. "Let me know if you need help setting them up." She added.

Meanwhile, James and Joy took one last question before the Q&A panel ended, giving them some time off before photo ops.

"Joy, which one of your songs do you enjoy the most performing? Could you maybe give us a preview of what we are to expect for the concert tomorrow?"

As Joy sang, James listened attentively, her angelic voice soothed his broken heart and he'd give anything to hear her sing all night long. Her lively eyes locked with his and she rested her head on his shoulder, his signature cologne invading her senses. She finally felt at home.

When they got back to the green room, James opened his mouth to speak, but he was interrupted by her phone ringing.

"It's my mom. Maria must want to talk to me. We'll see each other later at the photo ops, alright sailor?" Joy winked, before reaching up and hugging him, answering her phone and vanishing from his sight.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world."


	2. Something About The Way You Look Tonight

**AN:** Hi again! Here's chapter 2. I hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it. I forgot to mention, but this is set during next year's convention in Wilmington (it was a good pretext for a reunion, right?). Also, everything written here is FICTION (unfortunately). Oh, and I actually have no idea how cons work in terms of production but since this is fiction I thought "what the hell, I'll just write it this way" (bear with me haha). Anyway, if you're reading and (maybe) reviewing this, THANK YOU! Let me know what you think :) C.

 _PS: thank you for your reviews on chapter 1, they made my day._

"Baby girl, you look great!"

Joy laughed as Antown came close to give her a small hug. "How long has it been?"

"Too long, old friend." she smiled, looking past him to see James walk through the door, clearly being nagged by Robert, who almost skipped around him, not ever shutting up.

Antwon looked back to see where her attention had been diverted to.

"You two really need to get it on." he stated.

Joy's jaw almost hit the floor at her friend's crude comment. She couldn't say she was surprised, he had always been forward when it came to speak his mind.

"Antwon!" she scolded "That's not very appropriate of you to say. Plus, we're two polar opposites, who happen to be good friends and..."

"Baby girl, you're rambling. I know you and my man James have this special thing going on and I wouldn't want to meddle but if you two dorks don't work it out I've already been recruited by blondie to fix you up."

"Shantel?"

"Robert."

She stifled a laugh, shaking her head and patting him on the back.

"Alright, buddy, thanks. See you later."

James waited alone in the room where the Naley photo ops were being held, leaning back against the wall, going through his Instagram feed. Joy had posted the photo they took earlier, and everyone was going mental over it. They did look couple-y, as usual. He smiled when he got a text notification: Joy had sent him their pictures. _We're too cute for words, baby J! xo_ it read.

He wondered if she'd ever see him as anything other than "baby James". Rob was right, he did have a crush on her. How could he not? She was gorgeous, kind, funny and extremely talented. He couldn't get enough of her. James never grew tired of her presence. Something about her had this strange power over him.

His relationship had become tiring and dull so when his girlfriend told him she wanted to end things he was torn between feeling heartbroken and being relieved. Even though he felt a heavy weight inside his rib cage, he wasn't reminded of it as often today because her presence eased the pain he was in.

Joy walked in, rolling up her sleeves and moving to stand beside him.

"We're a hit." she announced, showing him her million dollar smile.

He returned her grin, shrugging. "I told you we were epic."

They took a couple of pictures before a fan requested they'd pretend they were gazing adoringly into each other's eyes.

Joy wrapped her arms around his neck and did as she was asked. James' blue eyes burning into her own, his intense gaze making her feel something she couldn't quite explain. He had a way of always making her feel special just by looking at her.

"You two should date!" the fan blurted out confidently.

"I've been hearing that quite a lot lately." Joy replied, avoiding to meet James' eyes.

James didn't say a word, burying his hands in his pockets as he tried to act casual.

"Hardcore shipper right here." she jested, hugging the fan goodbye.

The photo ops were finished and both were looking forward to their well-deserved break. They walked side by side down the hall back to the green room.

"This year they decided to organize a dinner with formal dress code instead of the regular one we used to have. I'm really curious about what Antwon will be wearing tonight. What do you think?" Joy asked, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled between the pair.

James stopped on his tracks, pretending to be deep in thought. "That's actually a pretty good question. He always makes some bold choices."

"That's one way to look at it." she snorted, instantly covering her mouth with her hands.

"Did you just..."

"Don't!" she pleaded.

James erupted into a fit of laughter and Joy groaned, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"You're never going to let me live this down, are you?"

"Not for a second, sweetcheeks." he winked, finally managing to stop laughing, noticing the frown on her face. "Oh come on... I promise I won't mention it to anyone, alright? It was kinda cute, actually." he joked, and, in an unexpected moment of bravery, placed his arm around her shoulders, squeezing her tightly against his side.

"Yeah, yeah..." she rolled her eyes lightheartedly and opened the door, only to find the room empty.

"Where's everybody?

"They left about ten minutes or so to get ready for dinner." an assistant explained, as she entered the room to restock the refreshments table.

"Shit, Sophia and I were supposed to share the car the production lent us for the weekend!" Joy grunted.

"I was stuck with Rob." James said, checking his phone for any texts or calls letting him know he was on his own. "Unbelievable."

"Guess I'm calling a cab." she sighed.

"We can share one if you'd like." James offered. "Where are you staying?"

"The Hilton..."

"They booked us all to stay in the same place, hu? I'll call a cab."

The cab didn't take long to arrive. As the gentleman he was, James opened the door for Joy to climb in, joining her and letting the taxi driver know where they wanted to go. When they got to the hotel, Joy saw the time on her phone, mumbling something about not being able to be ready on time, tapping her foot impatiently while they waited for the elevator to come down.

James chuckled to himself as she checked her watch time and time again as they went up.

"This is not funny. I thought we had more time..." she whimpered, just before the familiar ring let them know they had arrived.

" I don't know why you're worried about that, you'll look great even if you have less time to get ready" he said, matter-of-factly when they stepped out into the hall.

She scoffed, looking for her room key, hidden somewhere in her purse before halting in front of her door. "This is me."

"I'm staying right down the hall. Do you think they managed to book the whole floor?"

"Probably, they must want to make sure Rob and Chad don't wander off on food runs."

"They did try to drag me out of bed last night to get pizza."

"Why am I not surprised?" Joy pondered, turning her back on him to open the door. "Go get ready, you handsome buggar. We're supposed to be meeting downstairs, right?"

James simply nodded, taking in the way she called him handsome once again and waiting until she closed the door behind her to walk down the hall to his own room.

Joy took a shower, wrapping a towel around her body and rushing around her neat suite looking for the dress and shoes she had packed specifically for that night, laying the dress carefully on the bed, before putting on her lingerie.

She heard a knock on the door and hastily grabbed a robe, going to see who it was.

"Hey pretty lady!" Sophia greeted sheepishly, waltzing into her room in a green bustier cocktail dress, her hair down in gorgeous waves.

"You look beautiful, Soph." Joy smiled, untying her robe.

"Hey, hey, hey! Is that how you're going to show up at the dinner? You little rebel, disrespecting the dress code, I like it!" her bubbly friend gushed, sitting down on the bed.

"Haha, very funny! I'm still pissed you left me at the convention center without saying anything." She pointed out, turning on the hair dryer, missing Sophia's reply over the noise.

Sophia got up, grabbing the hair dryer from her. "Let me help you with that."

"Thank you."  
"I see you brought the red dress. Nice!"

"You did threaten to pinch me really hard if I didn't." Joy snickered, closing her eyes while Sophia picked up a rounded brush, starting to straighten her hair.

"I have my ways..." Sophia shrugged. "So... Are we going to talk about the elephant in the room, or...?"

"What elephant in the room?" she questioned, turning to look at her.

"Well, you know, the whole _James- is-single-and-you-should-totally-take-advantage-of-that_ situation."

"Did Robert set you up to this?"  
"Maybe..."  
"He just broke up with his girlfriend, Soph. They had been dating for a while. He needs to grief and figure his life out before you nerds try to set him up with someone else, you know that..." She shook her head, looking down at her hands.

"You would make an adorable little pair, just saying..." Sophia mumbled as she finished tying Joy's hair up in a bun, leaving some strands out to frame her face. "Voilá!" she cheered triumphantly, satisfied with her work once she saw a small smile creep up on her friend's face.

"You do have some weird fairy godmother hands. Thank you. Now, get me my make-up from the bedside table, please."  
"Your wishes are my commands."

Sophia did as she was asked and stood back while Joy calmly applied her make-up.

"How late am I?" she asked, as she sprayed her favorite perfume on her neck and the back of her ear, getting up and picking up her garment.

"You still have time, don't worry. Listen, I'm going to swing by my room to get my phone and I'm meeting Shantel in the lobby, okay?"

"Yeah, go on, just zip my dress up before you go, please."

Downstairs, the cast had been divided into two separate groups to leave for the convention center. James adjusted his blazer, looking down the room from time to time, checking if she had come down yet.

Sophia came down, smirking once she saw the disappointed look on James' face when he realised she wasn't the one he was so eagerly waiting for.

"Hey stranger. " she greeted him.

"Hey..."

"She'll be down in a minute."

"What?" he snapped back to reality, having clearly missed the suggestive tone in her voice.

"You don't fool anyone, baby James." Sophia winked, leaving him alone to join Shantel and Ashley.

He pretended he didn't understand what she meant, leaning against the pillar next to the reception desk, going through his Instagram feed for the tenth time in half an hour. Nothing new.

His brother had texted him to let him know he had seen the snap Joy had shared and that he "totally approved" but he "had dibs" on her since 2002, to which he had replied "Alright Stu, don't worry."

"Finally!" Shantel chanted, throwing her hands up in the air. "I was beggining to think I was going to have get you ready myself.

James looked up from his phone, being left speachless at the sight of her. He knew she'd look amazing but he had no idea that, fourteen years later, she could still knock the wind out of him.

Joy had chosen a beautiful red A-line dress with a generous cleavage that accentuated her tiny waist and she could only be described as a fallen angel. He bit his lip, discreetly eyeing her up and down.

"Okay buddy, you can breathe now." Chad came up from behind him with Rob, tapping him on the shoulder. "Come on everybody, Joy's here, it's time to go."

At the sound of Chad's voice, Joy glanced in his direction, locking eyes with James. She smiled, scrunching up her nose, the way she always did. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

Shantel linked arms with Joy, leading her outside and leaving him standing there, completely dumbfounded.

"Dude, did you just choke?" Rob asked, trying to hold in the laughter.

"Shut up."


	3. America's Suitehearts

**AN:** OH MY GOD, YOU GUYS. I absolutely LOVED writing this chapter and I can't wait to know what you think about it! Here it is, chapter 3. Thank you for your amazing reviews and feedback, keep 'em coming C. x

The actors were put into two separate cars, the girls left first, driving away from the hotel with a slight advance. Ashley and Shantel hadn't stopped cackling since they sat down.

Joy gave them a stern look and Sophia tried to pretend the whole situation wasn't extremely amusing .

Thinking about it, she didn't remember ever seeing James that flustered, and she had known him for years. What had gotten into him? He looked damn good in a suit, though. He looked good in almost anything, if she were honest.

"Poor James. I could've sworn his heart stopped beating for a second." Ashley concluded, once she managed to calm down.

"Even I had to get it together after I took a look at Joy's boobs in that dress. Damn, momma!" Shantel agreed.

"You're all very funny, I get it. Can you stop making fun of the poor guy now? He's hurting and you're being mean spirited."

"What do you mean, «mean spirited»? Haven't you ever heard of the saying «the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else», or something like that?"

"You did not just say that, VanSanten."

"Oh but she did, Lenz." Sophia chuckled, not even flinching at the sight of the death glare Joy sent her way.

Inside the convention center, the fans were already filling up their seats at the different tables, waiting for the cast to arrive.

James was the first one to climb out of the car, unbuttoning his blazer and taking a minute to get over the embarrassing moment he had just experienced back in the hotel.

Walking through the convention center's door, he was yet again left stunned by the way she looked. The vivid image he still had on his brain did not do her justice. She walked up to him, a worried look on her face.

"Are you okay?" Joy inquired, her beautiful brown eyes filled with genuine concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine, don't worry." he waved it off, quickly changing the subject. " Didn't I tell you you would look great?"

"Thank you, you look great yourself." she replied, blushing slightly.

"Look at them, they're acting like a couple of middle school kids. I don't get it." Robert huffed, watching the two interact.

"They're good friends, Rob. She has a daughter and he just got out of a relationship. You can't really expect them to jump into something new all of a sudden. The undeniable spark is there, everyone can tell, but if anything happens, it's going to be on their terms." Chad chimed in.

"When did you become Dr. Phil?"

"When you've got a small baby that keeps you up every night and all that's on at 4am are reruns of Oprah and Dr. Phil you tend to pick up a thing or two." he shrugged.

"J-man!" Rob called out all of a sudden, jogging to them and bursting their little bubble. "You are both cordially invited to the midnight ice cream run, tonight at...well, you know...midnight."

They looked at each other, remembering the conversation they had earlier at the hotel.

"I think I'm going to pass, sorry. Very early flight, long hours on a plane, dying to get some rest." Joy politely declined.

"Guess that's just you, me and Shantel then, buddy!"

"Did you consider the fact that I might actually want to sleep during the night?"

"What are you, 90?" Rob stuck his tongue out, entering the room the dinner was being held in.

"Sometimes I wonder why I surround myself with a bunch of five-year-olds." James mumbled, letting Joy lead the way.

"Tell me about it."

As Joy walked in, the fans clapped avidly, some even whistling. She smiled and blew a couple of kisses, moving to find her table.

James' entrance got a similar response and he waved, quickly getting to his table, greeting his dinner dates and making small conversation.

"Joy, we found some pictures of the cast as babies and we wanted to know if you could figure out who they are." one of the fans requested.

"Sure, it could be fun." she agreed to it, taking the phone the girl had handed to her. "Oh, this one's Sophia, for sure! Look at that smile!"

"You're right!" the fan cheered. "You can swipe left now."

"Aw that's me! Really big brown eyes. Mmm... Is this Lee?"

Meanwhile, at James' table, on the extreme opposite side of the room, the fans looked at him expectantly, as if they were waiting for him to tell them something they already knew. He stopped chewing, raising his eyebrow.

"Do I have something on my face?"

They instantly shook their heads, a few giggles escaping their mouths.

"We're waiting for you to rave about the highly anticipated Naley reunion." one of them, a pretty redhead, explained.

"Oh." he cleared his throat, straightening up in his chair. "Always lovely to see the wifey." he winked. "It's good to be back in this amazing place with wonderful people such as yourselves."

The fans swooned over his ever growing charm and playful smile.

"Oh, I know this little face! It's sweet baby James!" Joy gasped as she took one single glance at the picture. "Wait... James! James! Yo, Lafferty!"

His head snapped to where he heard his name being called from, seeing Joy waving at him excitedly.

"If you'll excuse me, I think the wife wants to have a word with me. I'll be right back." James said, standing up and walking up to her table. "What's up?" he asked, trying to divert his eyes from her plunging neckline.

"Look at this! You look so cute in your little suit! Wasn't this your cameo on Dr. Quinn, _Medicine Woman_?"

"You remember that?" he replied, surprised.

"Of course I do, you adorable nerd, have you seen your face?" she cooed, her smile only widening more as she looked at the picture again.

"That's a really embarrassing photo." he blushed, scratching the back of his head.

"Don't forget you posted pictures of you as a tank-top-loving child on Instagram." Rob pointed out from the table next to Joy's.

"Dude, seriously?" James grumbled.

The whole table laughed at their interaction, one of the girls speaking up before James turned his back to get back to his dates. "We didn't bring those pictures but we do have a rather interesting photo of you as a newborn, we were just about to show it to Joy."

"Oh god, please don't." he begged. The girls nodded, not wanting to go against the handsome man's wishes.

"Hey! I wanted to see that picture!" Joy pouted, standing up to face him, crossing her arms over her chest, accidentaly making her breasts stand out even more.

"Pouting isn't going to cut it, sweetheart." he sang, turning his back on her to avoid letting his eyes rake down her body again.

"Party pooper!" She called out, earning a few amused looks from her cast mates and the fans.

He chuckled, sitting back down at his table. "So, where were we?"

The dinner gala went by smoothly. The fans were happy and that made the whole thing worthwhile. Joy sat down next to James as they waited for their ride back to the hotel. Without putting much thought into it, she let her head rest on his shoulder. Somehow, it felt like the most natural thing to do. If felt right.

He tensed up at her proximity, but quickly relaxed when he noticed how content she seemed to be doing it, like she had many times before.

"I still want to see the picture, you know..." she teased, looking up at him with puppy eyes.

"It's awful."

"I have some pretty embarrassing pictures myself... Come on..."

"You're not giving up, are you?"

"Nope." she grinned sheepishly.

"Promise you won't laugh." James requested, dead serious.

"I won't!" Joy crossed her heart, turning on her seat , waiting curiously for him to show her the dreaded photograph.

"Well...here it is. A newborn James Martin Lafferty."

"Oh... Wow." she didn't know what else to say.

"I wasn't turning heads back then, no sir." he solemnly declared, his words laced with humor.

"That's a terrible thing to say about a baby!" Joy swatted his arm, struggling to keep a straight face. "Even if the baby..."

"Looks like an elderly alien?"

They both burst into laughter, not being able to hold it in.

"We're terrible people." Joy joked, gently placing her hand on his shoulder as she used her other hand to wipe a single tear that had escaped her eyes and struggling to catch her breath.

Just then, Antwon walked past them, wearing a white suit with a huge red stain on the crotch area. James looked at Joy and they completely lost it again.

Their friend stopped to look at the pair, bewildered by their sudden amusement.

"Dorks" he muttered, leaving them alone.

They made it to the hotel in twenty minutes, every single one of them going straight to their suites after saying "good night" to each other.

Joy managed to unzip her dress herself, after numerous attempts, and hung it up in the closet, taking another quick shower to relax and get ready to bed, putting on an old Rolling Stones t-shirt and a pair of plaid pajama pants. She brushed her teeth and let her hair down, running her hands through it, before texting her mother to kiss Maria good night for her and climbing in bed.

As comfortable as the bed was, she struggled to fall asleep. She tossed and turned for at least two hours and a half, eventually deciding to just wait, staring at the ceiling with her arm over her head.

She used to suffer from a really bad case of insomnia when they first started filming in Wilmington and it seems like she was doomed to have yet another sleepless night in North Carolina.

Annoyed and sleep deprived, she did the only thing that she could think of: getting up, picking up her room key and walking down the hall, mindlessly roaming around hoping her eyes eventually grew heavy. At least that used to work back in the early 2000's.

As she was turning around for yet another lap around the quiet floor, she bumped into someone. "I'm sorry!" she whispered, not trying to make a commotion. "James?"

He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, nodding in response.

"What are you doing out here at three o'clock in the morning?"

"I could ask you the exact same thing, Ms. Lenz."

"Wilmington induced insomnia." Joy explained.

"Well, same here. Feels like we're back in 2002 when we first shot the pilot."

"Yeah, we were the crazy insomniacs that stayed up walking around the halls of the hotel. Albeit this accommodation is certainly an upgrade."

"I remember that was the first time I actually had a full-on conversation with you." he stated.

"Sleep deprivation sure did make great friends out of us." she nudged his side, continuing to walk barefoot with him by her side.

"This isn't working, is it?" he sighed, desperate for a few hours of sleep.

"I don't think so..." she half-smiled, stopping by her door.

"Well... good night Joy."

"You can come in if you want, if we're not getting any sleep at least we can be miserable together." Joy offered. "It's okay, come on in, baby J."

She opened the door and stepped aside, letting him in. His tall frame towered over her as he walked past her. He was wearing a plain white t-shirt and a pair of boxer shorts that attracted attention to his (very) nice butt. Joy averted her eyes, shaking the thought of his sculpted body out of her mind.

"I'll turn on the TV, Shantel told me they have Netflix." She climbed back in bed after doing so and pointed to the the other side of the it, noticing James awkwardly standing in the middle of the suite. "You can lay there, the bed's big enough for the both of us. Hell, we could possibly even squeeze Rob in here with us if we wanted to." She teased, a playful glint in her eyes.

James looked at her, the woman who could pull off a sensual red dress and a Rolling Stones tee and no make-up in the same night without losing an ounce of her incredible sex-appeal, wondering what the Universe was trying to do to him. Like he had been multiple times in the past, he was now, once more, in bed with her. Only this time there were no cameras or dozens of crew members surrounding them.

"So, «How I Met Your Mother»?" her voice brought him back to reality.

"Mmm...yeah."

They remained quiet for a while, watching the episode and occasionally letting out a chuckle or two. James finally felt like he could relax around her. It was Joy after all. There was no reason for him to act like a seventeen-year-old with a crush.

"Barney's pick-up lines would never work on anyone in real life." Joy stated. "They only work in theory. And in really corny romantic comedies."

"I'm afraid I have to disagree with you."

"Excuse me?" she pretended to be offended.

"I've got a good one and it kinda works." James shrugged, not taking his eyes off the flat screen on the wall.

"It worked on who?" she snickered, crossing her arms over her chest.

"My last two girlfriends."

"Mm... Let's hear it then." Joy taunted, muting the TV and turning to her side in order to look at him.

"Be careful, you might fall in love with me after I use it on you." he warned, raising his eyebrow.

"I'll take my chances."

"Don't say I didn't warn you... Okay, here it goes... How much does a polar bear weigh?"

"I have no idea." she replied, amused by the excited look on his face.

"Enough to break the ice. Hi, I'm James." he finished his line, extending his hand out for her to shake, with a huge smirk on his face.

Joy took his hand, struggling to hold in the laughter.

"You're such a dork, Lafferty."

"C'mon, it's a good one!" he had the cutest grin on his face, the one she loved to see decorating his features.

"We're definitely done with «How I Met Your Mother» for the night, I'm not taking any risks on having to suffer through another one of those."

Joy switched to MTV, turning up the volume. Prince's "Kiss" was playing and, as soon as she realised it, her eyes widened and she slapped his arm in excitement. "Oh my god, this is our karaoke song!"

James smiled at the memory of the both of them singing that exact same song at season one's wrap party, happy and carefree.

"Get up, we're doing this." she urged, jumping out of the bed. "Want to be your fantasy, maybe you could be mine...You just leave it all up to me, we could have a good time." Joy sang, pointing at him. "Sing with me!" she pleaded, taking James' hands in hers and making him dance with her.

"You don't have to be rich to be my girl, you don't have to be cool to rule my world." he followed her lead, in a high pitched voice, which made her giggle uncontrollably while he made her twirl. "Ain't no particular sign I'm more compatible with, I just want your extra time and your..." James paused, realising he was unbelievably close to her. "Kiss."


	4. Knowing Me, Knowing You

Distracted by the TV, they hadn't noticed the storm brewing up outside. The sound of thunder roared loudly in the hotel room, instantly putting out the power. They dropped each other's hands, caught by surprise.

"Aw, this sucks!" she whimpered, going back to bed.

James did the same, slightly disappointed their little trip down memory lane had been cut short, resting his hands on his stomach as he thought about the moment they had just shared and the way he was currently so confused about his feelings.

"I'm not hurting as bad as I thought I'd be." he confessed, after they were silent for a few short minutes.

"What?" Joy asked, confused, sitting up straight.

"About the break-up. I'm not as heartbroken as I thought I would be, and that makes me...uneasy." James explained, looking down at his hands, finally letting himself process the things that had been happening lately in his life.

Somehow he felt safe in this hotel room, with her. Something inside him told him he could trust this woman, like he always had.

Joy scooted closer to him, not saying a word, but letting him know she was listening.

"I really have no idea how I got to this point."

"Okay, first off, I'm going to get the complementary bottle of wine from the mini-fridge and then you sir are going to tell me all about what's going on in that head of yours." she interrupted him, slowly walking to the appliance, getting the bottle of Paladini Pilastro Rosso Piceno, taking the corkscrew and handing it to him.

He unscrewed the cork and gave the wine back to her.

"Take a sip first, trust me, if we're having this conversation you're going to need it."

Joy had a point. He did as he was told, giving it back to her. This time she accepted it, doing the same.

"Go ahead." Joy urged. "I'm all yours."

He ignored the way his heart skipped a beat when she said those words and sighed heavily.

"Well... I thought this time I was headed towards what I wanted my future to be but along the way I realised I was just stuck in the same place, feeling somewhat numb and indifferent." he paused, glancing at Joy, only to notice she was hanging on every word he said. "I never want to feel indifferent when it comes to love. I want to feel excitement, passion, fear of losing that person. I want to have the urge to shout from the rooftops how in love I am. I want an extraordinary love, something that completely scares me and overwhelms me at the same time."

Joy could see the sadness in his deep blue eyes, even though the lights were out. She took the bottle to her lips and handed it to the conflicted man in front of her. He gave her a half-hearted smile and did the same.

"I want the exact same thing." she admitted after a few seconds of silence.

He raised his eyes from his hands and waited for her to continue.

"I feel as unlucky in that field as you do." Joy added, avoiding to meet his gaze. "It seems like I'm making a puzzle and I can't seem to find a piece that fits. I've tried using similar ones but you can't do «similar» when it comes to a puzzle: either you've got the real deal or you're stuck with a twisted version of what the final result should be. It ends up looking nothing like the picture in the box. I think love works that way."

He took in what she had just said. She had always been good with words. Only Joy could explain what he was feeling better than himself. Without realising it, they were scooting next to each other as they passed around the red wine.

"How do you do that?"

"How do I do what?"

"Take the words out of my mouth."

"I guess we're not as different as we thought we were." she shrugged.

"I'm not really good at dealing with feelings. I tend to bottle it all in... Love sucks." James concluded.

"I know, babe." Joy reached out, grabbing his hand, holding it and gently caressing his thumb with hers. "But it plays a pivotal part in our lives. I'm sure you'll find the perfect fit and you'll get the picture in the box. Something tells me you will." she assured him.

The wine had mellowed them out, slowing down their thoughts and turning off certain filters. They were now facing each other. James' fingers tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Joy shivered when she felt his hand touch her skin, every hair in her body standing up as if electricity was coursing through her veins. Their hands were still intertwined. Her breath hitched in her throat when he leaned in, his forehead meeting hers.

Loud moans mixed with the sound of rain brought them back to reality.

"What the hell is that?" Joy inquired, looking up at the ceiling.

"Someone gets in the mood during storms..." James chuckled.

"It's almost five a.m, who the fuck gets up at five a.m for a quicky?"

"A cow and a cat, apparently."

"What?"

"Whoever they are, they sound like a cow and a cat that are having an angry face-off."

They both started laughing loudly and uncontrollably.

"I'm officially disturbed." Joy stated, leaning back against the headboard of the bed with her eyes closed.

Rain continued to pour outside, no signs of it coming to a halt anytime soon.

"If we were filming right now, we'd definitely be outside freezing our asses off." James concluded, staring out the window.

"Probably making out." Joy pointed out, grinning cheekily.

"Oh, for sure. We'd be going at it."

She chuckled quietly in response, before she saw another lightning thread the dark sky.

"I actually hate thunderstorms so much." she mumbled, laying down.

"Really?" he questioned, mimicking her moves.

"Yeah, I know it's childish but I can't stand sleeping alone during these. So..." she reached out and touched his face. "I'm actually glad you're here right now."

The way she was looking at him was driving him crazy. The skin on her stomach was left bare as she laid down next to him. He wanted to touch her, cover every inch of her body with sloppy wet kisses, make her see how beautiful she was in his eyes.

 _Closing the space between them, James engulfed her in his arms pressing his lips against hers in a passionate kiss. Joy immediately responded to him, allowing his tongue into her mouth and burying her hands in his raven hair. The kiss they were sharing grew more desperate as he pulled them up and she moved to straddle his lap, panting heavily. She helped him take off his shirt, running her hands through his chiseled chest. James' lips left hers and she whimpered softly at the loss of contact, only to rejoice internally when she felt him leave kisses all over her neck._

 _His hands moved from her face to her Rolling Stones t-shirt, pulling it over her head. He stopped, looking at her, as if he was asking for permission. Joy smiled wickedly, bitting her bottom lip, nodding. James didn't waste any time, kissing and nibbling the skin above her full breasts. She thew her head back, moaning his name. "James...Oh, James..."_

"James... James!"

He suddenly opened his eyes as he heard her voice and felt her hand on back. The early sunlight filled the room. Who would've thought that after such a rainy night the birds would be chirping under the warmth of the sun, that was shining bright in the sky?

James was laying on his stomach, his left arm pinning Joy down to the matress.

"Mm... I really need to pee." she confided, looking down at her stomach, where his strong arm was holding her down.

Realising their compromising position, James removed his arm from where it rested, rubbing the sleep off his tired eyes. "What time is it?" he asked, trying to act casual and keeping his voice low, taking in that his head was pounding really hard.

"It's a quarter to eight." she almost whispered in response, rushing to the bathroom.

James tried to process the night they had shared together, since finding Joy in the corridor, to singing with her, almost giving into temptation and sharing a bed. He also thought about the dream he was having right before she woke him up. Speaking of which... James' eyes were averted to his shorts, that felt like they'd shrunk three sizes. His cheeks blushed a deep shade of pink as he got up and took a pillow from her bed, covering his manhood, picking up his room key and knocking on the bathroom door. He heard the water running and couldn't help but think of what it would be like to join her in the shower. _Down boy, you're not really helping yourself right now. Focus._ he thought, taking a minute to get his head back in the game. "I... I'm going to take a shower. See you at breakfast?"

A muffled "okay" was all he heard before making his exit. He padded to his room, praying to god no one saw him leave her suite in the early morning while sporting a prominent bulge. James made it to his destination but the key wasn't working, the door to his current safe haven remaining closed as he silently cursed himself out. _You must've picked up her key card, you idiot._

Heading back to Joy's room, he had just knocked before the elevator's doors opened and Stephen walked out, holding a small carry-on and a card just like the one he had in his hand. _Oh, fuck my life._ His long time friend saw him immediately, raising an eyebrow at the pillow he was holding over a very specific body part. He froze in his place, not daring to move an inch.

"What's up, dweeb!" Stephen greeted him. "Daddy's home."

"That is honestly the creepiest thing you've ever said." James cringed at his loud voice and weird kink.

"What's up with the pillow? But first, what the hell happened to you? You look like crap, almost like you haven't..."

Stephen was interrupted by the sound of the door opening, Joy making an appearance in nothing but a hotel robe, her damp wavy hair having yet to be tamed by a brush.

"...slept at all. Oh. Nice!" he completed his sentence, shooting the pair a knowing look. "That's totally a boner, isn't it?" Stephen pointed to the pillow, chuckling.

Joy's eyes widened and all the blood was drained out of James' face.

"This is not what it looks like." she started to explain, tightening the robe around her otherwise naked body.

"Of course not." he winked at her, raising his hand for a high-five. "Anyone? No? Alright, I'll just retreat to my room so you guys can continue doing the dirty. Remember to use protection though. Coletti out!" he almost shouted, going all Judd Nelson in The Breakfast Club as he took a turn and left their sights.

 **AN:** okaaaaaay so... I'm sorry you had to suffer through my terrible attempt at writing something (even remotely) smutty for two paragraphs haha! It's really awkward for me to write these kinds of things (and I think this is the first time I really put thought into something like this), but I felt like it was needed for the sake of the chapter (oh and the power cut! – I know hotels usually have generators, but bear with me). Anywaaaaay, I hope this chapter lives up to the expectations you've built about this fanfic so far. Also, thanks for reviewing and giving me feedback! C x

 **OTH fan** (a guest on and someone I can't message privately like I usually do): Your reviews make me SO HAPPY. It seems like you get exactly what I want to transmit to the reader. Thank you for your kind words! Hope you like this one. Cheers!


	5. Best Thing I Never Had

**AN:** In this chapter there's a reference to a girl who's James' "ex", and she is described in a negative way. Please note that I'm not referring to anyone in particular and certainly not making any judgement about his current girlfriend, once I actually don't have an opinion about her (nor I think I should voice it, it's their relationship). I don't really know what she's like as a person and I'm not trying to say she's this or that or that this character is supposed to be her. NO HATE or disrespect to his girlfriend. For all I know, she can be the sweetest woman in the world. As I said, this is a work of FICTION and I don't mean to offend anyone, particularly A.P. EnJOY chapter 5!

Before I start the chapter I just want to reply to **OTH Fan** 's review: I read your reviews at least five times. They make me so happy! You're very specific about what you like in the chapters/story and I really appreciate that. Keep them coming! Love, C x

"He had a what?" Sophia almost spat out her coffee.

"Shh, keep it down, Bush!" Joy scolded.

"Oh god, sorry, this is just...gold. Wait until Hilarie gets here!" Sophia laughed.

She rolled her eyes playfully, picking through her food.

"Seriously though, was it a full-on hard-on or...?"

"How am I supposed to know, he had a pillow covering it and I wasn't exactly staring! But from the way his face turned white when Stephen mentioned it, it's likely all the blood went rushing south."

"Yeah, right. I knew it was just a matter of time..." Sophia shrugged, bitting down on a croissant. "What went on last night? I'm dying to know! Fast and furious, slow and romantic or plain kinky?" she wiggled her eyebrows up and down, leaning in closer to Joy.

"Stop it! Nothing happened! We just talked...and danced...and sung."

"James sung?"

"Prince."

"What is it with you and turning men into singing fools? Seriously, you guys just keep on giving us reasons to think you hooked up."

"We did not hook up!" Joy denied yet again. "It's normal for a man to wake up with an erection, you know."

"Yeah, and he went back to your room to ask you to take care of it, hu?" Sophia teased, poking at her sides.

"He accidentaly took my key instead of his when he left, it's really not that big of a deal." Joy huffed, massaging her temples with her fingers. "And would you please try to lower your voice, I have the worst wine hangover ever."

"Drunk and sharing a bed... That must've gone well."

Joy shot her a glare and Sophia held her hands up in her defense.

"Alright, alright, I won't say it again!"

James was lying face down on his bed with the blinds closed, as he had been since the unfortunate incident. That was surely the most embarrassing moment of his life.

A knock on the door made him groan, taking everything in him to get up and answer it.

"My man!" Stephen chanted, pushing past him and walking into his room before he could try to send him away, sitting down on one of the chairs in front of the bed.  
He returned to his previous position, ignoring his friend's presence.

"Let's cut straight to the chase: was it everything you thought it would be or more?" Stephen asked, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his legs, concentrating on James' seemingly lifeless figure.

"Dude."

"I know, I know, a gentleman doesn't kiss and tell. But fuck that, you're no gentleman."

"We didn't have sex." James reiterated.

"Alright, call it «making love»" Stephen corrected himself. "I just wanna know the deets. I got here from a long-ass flight and the first thing I see is you knocking on Joy's door for a booty call, there has to be a story behind that."

James got up and went into the bathroom. "It was not a booty call. I'm not saying it again, Coletti."

"You can't just leave it at that! My life's been so boring lately, I need to live through you and the torrid love affair you've started with Ms. Lenz!" his friend cried out, desperate for information.

He started his shower, leaving Stephen alone with thoughts of what went down in that suite.

"Just answer one question..." he walked in while James was washing off the shower gel.

"Dude, get out!"

"What? It's not like I haven't seen it before! Besides, I'm guessing I'm not the only one who's taken a look at it today, hu?"

James wrapped a towel around his waist, wondering why he had let Stephen come in in the first place. He knew he wasn't going to give up until he told him something.

"You want to know what happened? Here's what happened: I made a complete fool of myself last night when I saw Joy in the dress she wore to the dinner gala. And by a complete fool I mean a crumbling, shaking mess. I choked, couldn't even get a word out. When we got back I took a shower, brushed my teeth and went to bed, but my mind was racing and I wasn't getting closer to falling asleep so I did what Joy and I used to do back in the day: went out into the hallway and walked around. Of course I ended up running into her and she invited me in so we wouldn't have to be miserable and sleep-deprived alone. We watched TV, we danced, sang, drank wine and talked. And then, we fell asleep." he ranted, while drying up.

"And after that you woke up and gave her a full salute." Stephen completed, while leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed in front of his chest.

"Yes, Stephen, I woke up with an erection. Enough with the euphemisms." James rolled his eyes in response, taking a pair of boxers from his suitcase and putting them on.

"You must've had one hell of a wet dream." Stephen chuckled.

 _You have no idea._

"You dreamt about having intercourse with Stifler's mom once. You have no morals."

"Mmm, true..." he conceded, nodding. "Classy touch with the pillow though."

"Thanks." James replied sarcastically. "Just... Don't mention this to Rob, please. "

"Actually..."

"Oh, for fuck's sake!" the raven haired man swore. "I'm never going to see the end of this, am I?"

"No, buddy, you're not. But hey, at least we're nagging you about your bae."

"What the hell is a «bae»?"

"You seriously should keep up with what goes on online, grandpa. It means «before anyone else». Isn't that cute?" Stephen explained, batting his eyelashes jokingly.

James threw his head back, laughing.

"I'm glad you came, Coletti. Even though you're a royal pain in the ass."

"Speaking of ass, have you been squatting? We could probably introduce you as a Kardashian by now…"

"Get out of here!"

With the rush to get to the convention center for day two, James didn't get the chance to approach Joy about the events that took place that morning. He didn't feel like she'd hold it against him, it was Joy after all, she'd never purposefully make him feel bad about anything. She looked particularly beautiful, in ripped boyfriend jeans, a pair of high-heeled sandals and a pink satin tank top.

As soon as Robert saw Joy lagging behind, typing away a text to her mother, he slowed down his pace, wrapping his arm around her practically bare shoulders.

"Good morning, BJL!"

"Good god, Robert, you really need to stop creeping up on me like that." she yelped, almost dropping her phone.

"Yeah, sorry, completely forgot about that." he apologised. "Well, listen, this morning I got a very nice visit from..."

"Stephen." Joy finished his sentence blankly, stopping dead on her tracks, grabbing her cheerful friend by the shoulders and looking him straight in the eye. "Robert Earl Buckley, pay close attention to what I'm about to say, because I'm only saying it once: nothing happened between James and I."

"But..."

"No. We slept. There was no funny business. Stephen just happened to walk in with a very weird timing."

"No hanky-panky?" Robert pouted.

"No hanky-panky." she assured him.

"No bow-chicka-wow-wow?"

"See you later, Robert." Joy shook her head, turning her back on him and walking into the green room.

"No bam-bam in the ham? No adult naptime? No frickle-frackle? Joy? Joy!"

Hilarie sat down between Joy and Sophia, patting their legs.

"So, what's up with my girls?" she grinned.

"Oh, nothing much going on with me right now. Joy, on the other hand..."

"Seriously?" Joy groaned.

"Oh, tell me everything!" Hilarie clapped her hands, turning on her seat to grab Joy's.

"James and Joy sitting on a tree..." Sophia sang, looking around the room to find him talking to Antwon and Chad.

"K issing?" she spelled out. "Joy?!"

Joy sighed, telling her what she had missed.

"That was intense!" Hilarie gushed, glancing at James. "Plus, James is single? Thank god, Bette! I met his ex once in New York and I had to refrain myself from punching her right in the nose. So possessive and snobby, queen of the side-eye."

"I'm sure she wasn't a bad person." Joy counterpointed. "You probably just met her at the wrong time."

"Joy, honey, I love you for always seeing the best in people but... she was certainly not a good fit for our baby James."

There was no point in arguing with Hilarie. Joy had an old soul, but Hilarie had the oldest soul out of them all and if she thought someone was a bad apple, it was highly likely that person was one.

They sat back, discreetly eyeing James up and down from time to time, changing the subject to how much he'd grown since the first time they met him.

"Okay guys, time for Hilarie and Stephen's Q&A." an assistant called out.

"That's my cue." Hilarie winked, standing up. "Coletti, let's go!"

Sophia left Joy alone to go to the bathroom and James immediately took the opportunity to have the dreaded talk , sitting next to her on the white couch.

"Hey Joy..."

"Don't worry about it, James. I know those kinds of things happen. You don't have to apologise about it. The whole situation was actually comical, if you think about it." she smiled, placing her hand on his bicep. "Apart from Rob and Sophia's constant nagging, it was no big deal."

"I'm sorry about that, Stephen told him. Wait, he got a hold of you already?"

"Well, yeah. After I denied we had sex, he looked like this disappointed toddler, huge puppy blue eyes staring at me, pouting, and he asked me if there was no «hanky-panky»."

"One of my best friend's an actual four-year-old. Nice." James stated, covering his face with his hands.

"Well, at least dumb and dumber have a great sense of humor." Joy reasoned, rubbing his back. "Can you believe Stephen actually used the catchphrase «Coletti out»?" she chuckled, stopping herself when her head pounded once again.

"If you had opened the door a few seconds sooner you would've heard him say «Daddy's home»."

"Robert used «bam-bam in the ham» as a substitute for «sex»."

"Wow. Our friends are officially the biggest weirdos in the world."

"Well, Mark sure knows how to pick them."

They both laughed, observing the dynamic duo while they avidly discussed the latest episode of _How To Get Away With Murder_.

"We look like shit. Hungover and shit." Joy sighed when she caught a glimpse of her reflection in one of the windows, noticing the dark circles her concealer had failed to cover up.

"I might look like crap, and my head's killing me, but you look as beautiful as ever." James eyed her, incredulously. How could she think she looked anything less than perfect? "I have no idea how you do it, but you do."

Her heart fluttered at his kind words, making her scrunch up her nose while lightly shoving him.

"See? You're always working your charm! And you still wonder how those girls out there fawn over your every move…"

"Come on, Lenz. You can't be serious."

"One of them told me she came from California to see you this weekend. You're the big poppa."

James shivered and she giggled, knowing full well that'd be his reaction to the unusual compliment.

"I'm sorry, you just make this really cute face when you cringe inwardly." Joy pointed out, ruffling his hair.

"Oh, is that so?" he smirkled. "I think you make a really cute face when you're being tickled."

"Don't you dare!" she warned, moving away from him.

It was too late. He lunged forward, catching her and pinning her down to the couch, attacking her sides with tickles, making her giggle uncontrollably and squirm under his touch.

"And you expect us to believe you two haven't been fooling around!" Antwon commented as he walked by, popping a handful of m&m's into his mouth. "Get real, JLs."

Joy took a moment to regain her breath, ignoring completely what Antwon had just suggested and grabbing the chance to try and do the same to James. He raised his brow, an amused grin adorning his lips.

"Are you trying to tickle me?"

"Mm… Yeah?" she bit her lip, continuing her assault. "Why aren't you laughing?"

"That's cute. I'm not ticklish."

"Everyone's ticklish."

"Not me."

She furrowed her eyebrows, getting up and pointing her finger at him.

"I'll figure out your weakness, Lafferty."

 _Perhaps you already have._


	6. What About Your Friends

"Okay, so hear me out. I was sitting at my table, minding my own goddamn business, looking fly as hell in my taylor-made white frock, talking to everyone and being the great host I am...when all of a sudden this lady, who was one of the moms, starts touching my leg. She was obviously tipsy. Anyway, I was all like «hold up, m'am» and she leaned in and whispered some real kinky things in my ear, calling me a gorgeous dark chocolate man and shit. At that point I didn't know whether I should be flattered or scared so I tried standing up real quick, accidentally touching her elbow, which made her spill her glass of freaking sangria all over my baby-making factory. I felt like I could cry, man, I tell you. I loved that suit!"

James resisted the urge to break into a fit of laughter, pressing his lips into a thin line, nodding, while Antwon explained how he had ended up with a red stain on his crotch the night before.

Joy had left to warm up for the concert and he finally got a break from being completely hypnotized by her presence, catching up with an old friend.

"That was one eventful night, hu?"

"Not nearly as eventful as yours, I presume."

James shifted in his seat, clearly uncomfortable with the subject being brought up once again.

"Look, J-man, I'm not saying anything happened because, unlike those sex-crazed nerds over there, I keep it real, and I know baby girl would never hook up just for the hell of it. Especially with you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" James questioned, furrowing his brows.

"You' d never try to get in her pants on a whim, and neither would she. You two never fooled me. Remember the last scene you shot for the show? The one in the rain?"

He nodded, waiting for Antwon to continue.

"That was sexy, man. I mean, there was no way you were only acting. I could tell, Schwann could tell, I'm surprised baby girl couldn't. Then again, you two have been playing cat and mouse for, I don't know, fifteen years?"

"How could we play cat and mouse, she was married."

"You know what they say, the goal might have a goalkeeper but that doesn't mean you can't score."

"You did not just do a sports analogy to suggest cheating."

"Relax man, I don't condone cheating. I'm just saying, you can be married and «randomly» develop feelings for someone other than your spouse, it happens."

"It didn't happen, alright?"

"Suit yourself. We both know it's bound to happen. The Universe, J-man, it has a strange way to make things work." Antwon proclaimed, patting his back. "I'm gonna find myself a ham sandwich, I'm fucking starving."

"Joy's on stage, you guys want to come and watch?" Hilarie peeked through the door, a bright smile on her face.

James followed her to the room the concert was being held in, standing on the side of the improvised stage while Joy sang.

Hilarie divided her attention between the pair, not saying a word the entire time, but watching in awe the way they'd steal glances at each other from time to time, the way James stared lovingly while she danced around the stage, having the time of her life, doing what she loved.

"This is a song I wrote about being so in love with someone you just want to shout it from the rooftops. There's someone out here today that wants to know what it's like. So... here's «Your Woman». Sing along if you know the lyrics." Joy announced, burying her hands in her hair and playing with it a bit. "Okay, here we go... When, when you touch me, when you say my name, I never liked the sound of my name till you said it baby..."

She looked around the room, finding him standing next to Hilarie, deeply concentrated on her figure. She wanted to let him know that love could be simple yet so exciting and amazing at the same time. All she wanted was for him to find it, and finally get what he had been looking for.

"You really rocked that performance, Bette." Hilarie congratulated Joy, wrapping her arms around her.

"Thank you, Ross." Joy blushed.

"I've really missed you and our knitting sessions. Remember when we used to play Prince's «The Cross» and just sit around talking about the golden days between takes?"

"Yeah, and you used to rave about wanting to own hens. Why hens?" Joy questioned, chuckling.

"I don't know, I've always been in love with the idea of living a calm, quiet life surrounded by farm animals, aside from all the craziness in this industry."

"We used to come to you when we needed a maternal figure in the midst of all the craziness and chaos. You give us all such an amazing feeling of inner peace. I'm really happy you joined us today."

"I'm really happy to be here, sweet girl."

"Joyous!"

Joy rolled her eyes playfully at the nickname Stephen had given her, placing both her hands on her hips.

"What's up?"

"Between Superman and Batman, which one is the coolest?"

"Oh, dude, Superman all the way!"

"Ha! Told you!" Stephen hollered to Rob, who was behind them, raising his fist for Joy to bump.

"What? Why the hell would you think that?" Rob contended.

"He flies, he has x-ray vision, super strength and runs extremely fast." James chimed in, not looking up from his phone as he walked to the refreshments table.

"I told you Joy and the boy toy would agree with me."

"Who are you calling a boy toy, Steph?" Joy inquired, smacking the back of his head.

"Hey!" the olive-skinned man complained, fixing his hair.

* * *

The day went by fast as they proceeded to get the photo ops and autographs done, finishing up before the clock struck eight.

"Dinner's on me, guys!" Hilarie declared.

"My flight's two hours from now, so I'll have to pass. Shantel's leaving as well... Thank you, though!" Ashley said.

"Yeah, me too. Sorry, Burton. We'll see each other soon, alright babe?" Chad hugged her goodbye.

Everyone started to leave, agreeing to meet each other at Hell's Kitchen in half an hour.

"You coming?" James asked.

"Mmm... I'm just calling my mom to check on Maria and letting them know I'll be home for dinner tomorrow." Joy smiled softly, dialing the number on her phone.

"I'll wait for you." he offered in response.

"You don't have to, everyone left already. I'll meet you guys there."

"I insist."

"I'm a big girl, Mr. Lafferty. I can surely get there on my own." she reasoned, giving him a pointed look.

"Indeed, Ms. Lenz. But I shouldn't walk alone, it's a very dangerous world out there, I might get jumped, a pretty little thing like me."

"Yeah, I'm afraid you might... Someone out there was saying they'd sell their first born to Satan if they got to have you for a night."

"I think that's a fair trade." he joked, making her scoff.

"As if. I don't get it, I got you for free for nine years and I really don't see what the fuss is about."

"Best nine years of your life."

"Don't push your luck, Lafferty." Joy warned.

"Wouldn't think of it, Lenz." he winked. "Back to the point, do you want to walk to the restaurant with me? I could use a stretch."

"Sure. Let me just make my call and we'll be on our way."

The unpredictable weather in Wilmington made sure to make a statement once again, the night starting to settle in with a crisp draft running around the pair as they walked side by side. Joy shivered slightly, goosebumps raising all over her porcelain skin from the sudden impact of the cold atmosphere. She rubbed her hands over her naked arms, trying to generate some heat.

"Are you cold?"

"Oh, don't worry about it, I'd just forgotten how chilly it got at night." she waved it off.

James immediately took off his navy blue pullover, handing it to her.

"James, you're going to get a cold." Joy cautioned.

"Well, I don't sing for a living." he began. "Plus, I don't think I can handle hearing your hoarse voice ever again."

"It wasn't that bad!" she protested, grabbing the item of clothing he offered her and putting it on.

"You sounded like a fifty-year-old man who smoked five packs of cigarettes a day." he pointed out.

She pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. James noticed the way his clothes almost swallowed her tiny frame, it was quite endearing if he were honest.

"This is so soft, I think I might keep it." Joy blurted out, running her hands through the cashmere fabric.

"Well, that's not going to happen." he teased.

"Why not?"

"My mom bought it for me last Christmas, she'd kill me if she knew I'd given it away."

"Last Christmas, I gave you my heart, but the very next day, you gave it away..." she sang, holding on to his arm.

"Oh, here we go."

"Don't pretend you don't like it! I know for a fact you've got some George Michael on your iPod."

"You've got One Direction!"

"So? They've got a couple of pretty great songs." Joy shrugged, sticking her tongue out. "Besides, I'm not discussing guilty pleasures with you, Shakira."

"You promised not to mention that ever again!" he groaned, making her chuckle in amusement.

"Don't worry, I won't... Just make sure your hips know it's supposed to be a secret."

"What, why would I... Oh. Very funny. Hips don't lie. Got it."

Joy was bent over laughing. He could listen to her laugh forever.

"Alright, you gave me no choice..." James sighed, picking her up and throwing her over his shoulder.

"James! Put me down!" Joy screeched, slapping his back.

"Are you going to let go of the whole Shakira thing?"

"Cross my heart." she promised.

They made it to the restaurant before anyone else, sitting down and looking through the menu. James couldn't help but smile at the sight of a slightly disheveled Joy wearing his clothes, completely zoned out on the list of different options they had for dinner.

"Here you are!" Hilarie rejoiced, taking off her coat. "We've been waiting for you guys outside for twenty minutes!"

"You could've at least picked up your phones." Sophia scolded, plopping down next to Joy. "New attire?" she motioned to the pullover her friend was sporting.

"Yeah, I borrowed it, but I'm about ninety-eight percent sure I'll end up keeping it. It's so soft, touch it!"

James smirked at her comment as Sophia did was she told to do.

"Any news on the new gig?" he turned to Stephen, who was checking his e-mail for the millionth time that day.

"Not yet." Stephen mumbled in response. "God, I need to get out of the house... Ever since my mom moved in with me she started to make me go to church with her and tidy up my room. I can't even have friends over because she'll probably ask a ton of inappropriate questions like «Why aren't you married yet?» and say stuff like «When I was your age I already had all three of my babies. Stephen, why don't you give me grandchildren?»" he imitated his mother in a high-pitched voice.

"Well, look on the bright side, that'd mean you'd be able to call yourself «daddy» without it being creepy as fuck." James patted his shoulder.

"She makes me watch soap operas with her. I am not supposed to know every single detail about a soap opera! But I do. She took away my PlayStation because I didn't do the dishes. I'm so bored! Why do I feel like I'm fourteen again?" Stephen moaned.

"Is it that bad?"

"She wants me to stop cursing, so she changed the settings on my phone so that every time I type «fucking» and «shit» it changes to «flipping» and «poop». What do you think?"

"Sorry, buddy."

"Have you ever tried to sext someone and ended up sending that person a text that says «Poop, you're so flipping hot?»"

James hid his face in his hands, trying to control the urge to laugh.

"Nice to see you find my suffering amusing. Laugh all you want, but wait until Mama Lafferty finds out you had a sleepover with Little Miss Sunshine over there."

"Nothing happened! Plus, she loves Joy."

"Precisely. She'll be pissed you didn't take your chance, you big idiot."

"Yeah, yeah." James waved him off, taking a sip of his coke.

It wasn't long before the food arrived, making the group momentarily be silent to enjoy their meal. Hilarie cleared her throat, standing up.

"First of all, I would like to thank every single one of you for being here today. I am so grateful we all got to work with each other on such a special show. Each of you has enriched my life in one way or another and that makes me incredibly happy. I really hope we get to all come together like this many more times in the future and that we continue strengthening our friendship throughout the years. I love you all. Cheers." she said, raising her glass.

Everyone cheered, clapping after her small speech and drinking to it. Joy gazed at James tenderly, watching him take Stephen's glass away from him and smiling at the adorable face he made when he noticed she was looking at him.

The brown-eyed beauty flinched when she felt herself being pinched.

"Ow! Sophia, what the hell?" she yelped, rubbing her sore arm.

"Robert wanted me to hand you this. I called your name, but you were way too absorbed in _Laffertyland_ to hear me." Sophia smirked.

 _Do you like James? Yes? No? Maybe?_ the napkin read.

"Oh dear god. He went from a four-year-old to a pre-pubescent kid in the blink of an eye, I'm impressed." she chuckled, cramping it up and throwing it at Rob's head. "Time to get Dumb and Dumber to bed."

They called two taxis, having to lure Stephen and Robert inside with promises of yet another food run, this time for a chocolate soufflé.

"I don't get it, they literally had two beers." Hilarie stated incredulously, strapping Rob in.

"Couple of lightweights." Antwon agreed, shaking his head.

Getting to the hotel, Sophia and Antwon helped Stephen up, listening to him babble something about asking the Pope to get his mom to leave his house.

"Okay, Robbie, let's go." Joy cooed.

"You look wonderful tonight, has anyone told you that? You know who also looks as handsome as ever? My boy James." he slurred.

James raised his eyebrow, holding him up while they waited for the elevator.

"Candle, light and soul forever, a dream of you and me together…say you believe it, say you believe it." Robert sang as they went up.

"Is he…?" James asked, glancing at Joy.

"He is." she confirmed.

"Free your mind of doubt and danger, be for real, don't be a stranger…We can achieve it, we can achieve it."

"Who knew Rob was a fan of the Spice Girls…" Joy commented, impressed with his song choice.

"Are you kidding me? He sang Spice Up Your Life at every single wrap party he attended."

"I don't remember him being drunk…"

"He wasn't." James laughed, helping him walk to his door.

"You two are the best people I know. You're like my ma and pa. I love you guys! Sing along!" he launched himself at his friends, making Joy stumble back.

"Okay buddy, we love you too, calm down. Give Joy your key."

Robert did as he was told and Joy opened the door, letting James almost carry him to his bed.

"Come a little bit closer baby, get it on, get it on, 'cause tonight is the night when two become one." he carried on singing, pointing at the pair.

"Robert Buckley, professional Spice Girls impersonator. I like it." James jested.

"He'd be the perfect Baby Spice." Joy added.

"Excuse me? I was born to be Posh Spice." Robert interrupted their exchange. "Robert Beckham."

They erupted in laughter, barely being able to breathe.

"Whatever you say, big guy." James pulled the covers over his body.

"Sleep tight." Joy said softly, leaving the room.

The raven haired man was about to do the same when Robert called his name one last time, looking back at his friend.

"Don't let her get away again."


	7. Knockin' On Heaven's Door

_Don't let her get away again._

Robert's words resounded in his head as he closed the door behind him. He looked up, his eyes landing on her. There she was, as beautiful as ever, leaning against the wall, waiting for him.

"I know what I'm getting him for his birthday." Joy snickered.

"You happen to know David Beckham?" he crossed his arms over his chest, smirking.

"I happen to know a really good cardboard cut-out manufacturer."

"Mmm..." James pretended to be deep in thought. "Close enough."

"Well, time to hit the sack. These bags aren't going anywhere if I keep on staying up all night." she joked, pointing to the dark circles under her eyes.

James frowned, hesitating for a second before he used his index fingers to cover the faint blemishes above her cheekbones.

"What bags?" he grinned.

She scrunched up her nose, placing her hands over his.

"Has anyone ever told you you're impossibly charming, Mr. Lafferty?"

"Yeah, you... About ten times this weekend." James smirked, earning himself a playful slap in the arm. "Hey!"

"Get yourself some rest, baby J. I'll see you in the morning." she smiled, walking away from him.

He did the same, almost turning the corner when he heard her voice from the other side of the hallway.

"Hey James..."

"Yeah?"

"You must be really tired because you have been running through my mind all day long." Joy wiggled her eyebrows, waiting for his reaction.

"Mine was way better." James shrugged.

"It was not!" she scoffed, following the route to her room.

"Yes it was!" he half-shouted, going his own way.

Back in his suite, he couldn't wait to take a steaming hot shower, quickly undressing himself and letting the water relax his tired muscles and racing mind.

This was it. This was the last night of the convention and in the morning they'd both go their separate ways for god knows how long. He had some work to do in England and Joy had her own projects and her daughter to take care of back in California.

James didn't think he'd be dreading to leave North Carolina when he arrived two nights before. He had no idea Joy still had such a hold on him. Back when he was eighteen or nineteen anything she did would make him go weak in the knees in a second, but that was a long time ago, a schoolboy crush. Why did he suddenly feel like his heart skipped a beat every time he saw her?

 _Must be Wilmington_. he tried to convince himself.

The raven haired man put on his boxers and the shorts he had slept in the night before, not bothering to retrieve the t-shirt from his suitcase.

Finally laying down after a long day, James couldn't help but notice how light he felt. The heaviness in his chest was no longer there. The idea of being in the same place as his ex didn't seem so bad anymore. He was free, and he sure as hell was willing to let love make its way to him. Love. Love like he had never felt before, the kind of feeling Joy sung about. _Joy_.

James shook his head, taking his phone from the nightstand and dialing his brother's number.

"Hey Stu."

"No, I'm not letting you borrow my motorcycle."

"What are you talking about?"

"James? Sorry, I thought you were Myron. What's up, broseph?"

"I'm calling because..."

"Is this about Joy? 'Cause mom bet dad you'd be too much of a wuss to do anything about this cute little thing you two have going on this weekend."

"Thanks a lot, mom." he groaned.

"Spill it, I'm watching Game of Thrones and shit is about to go down."

"I think I might feel something for Joy. I don't know what it is, but..."

"You think?"

"I don't know, I haven't been putting as much thought into it as everyone else apparently." James hissed.

"Okay, okay, chill. Are you freaking out or something?"

"What do you think?"

"I'm pretty sure you're freaking out for no reason, you handsome bastard." Stuart reasoned. "You should just let her know."

"Things are going to get awkward and she'll pull away from me. I'm not risking losing her friendship over feelings I'm not completely sure about." he sighed, running his hand through his wet hair. "I just really want to be one hundred percent certain this isn't a rebound. Joy's too good for that."

"It will never be about a rebound with Joy. Take your time to find that out, but you'll eventually get to the same conclusion I have, big bro."

"I want to make sure this doesn't stem from my break-up with..."

"The Blair Bitch?"

"Stuart..."

"Sorry, just getting that out of my system." his brother apologised, without really meaning it. "So, what are you going to do about this whole thing?"

"Nothing. I can't really think straight with Joy around so I'm guessing as soon as we're away from each other I'll get a clearer view of what the hell is going on in my life."

"Alright, you do that. I'm going back to my man crush Jon Snow. Text me when you grow a pair. Love you."

"Yeah, yeah, love you too." he rolled his eyes, hanging up the phone.

Thunder roared outside, making him jump slightly.

"Christ, not again..." he mumbled, getting under the sheets.

James closed his eyes, taking a minute to breathe in and breathe out. Did he actually tell his brother he had feelings for Joy? Did he actually have feelings for her or was he just going out for a rebound? A few minutes ago he was dreading Monday morning but now he couldn't wait to leave. He needed to get away from Wilmington and _her_ so he could figure out why he had dreamt about them getting intimate, why his palms got sweaty whenever she approached him, why he was a blabbering mess the whole weekend. He wasn't used to not being in control of his own emotions and the confusion he was experiencing certainly scared him.

James had always struggled with voicing and understanding his feelings and that bothered him. How was he supposed to find the missing piece of his puzzle if he didn't know what it'd feel like when he did?

A sudden knock on the door startled him. James opened his eyes, waiting to make sure it wasn't his imagination. Not long after that, he heard it again. Getting up from the bed, he padded to the entryway, ready to tell Robert or Stephen off for nagging him at two o'clock in the morning.

"It's really bad out there..." she almost whispered, her big brown eyes looking up at him while she bit her bottom lip and fiddled with her fingers.

"Hu... Yeah, it really is." he agreed, almost slapping himself to make sure he wasn't sleeping.

"Do you mmm...mind if I..." Joy began, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"No, not at all, come in..." James said before Joy completed her sentence. She'd told him she didn't like being alone during storms, but he found himself wondering why she'd come to him, of all people.

Joy took in his appearance: his toned muscles on full display, his hair disheveled and slept-in, his gorgeous blue eyes filled with genuine concern looking into her own. She nodded curtly and walked into his suite, waiting for him to close the door and guide her through the dark room.

James placed his large hand on her lower back, leading her inside.

Joy climbed into his bed, looking defenseless and, honestly, a little bit panicked. He joined her, laying on the other side of the king-size bed.

"I don't really know why these have such a huge effect on me. I think it has to do with my fear of facing the wrath of something way bigger than myself. Can you believe Nature has the strength to build something up and then completely destroy it?"

"I never really thought about it. I think Nature has its ways to make things right, one way or another. Right now it's pouring outside, but tomorrow morning the sun will be shining as bright as ever. That's just the way it works."

"That doesn't really help..." she murmured, tucking herself in and looking out the window.

"I'm right here, okay? You're not alone anymore. You can sleep now, alright?"

Joy didn't answer, opting to scoot closer to him. Something about him always made her feel incredibly safe, and if sleeping next to him meant she'd feel that, she'd do it.

"Is it weird for you if I'm this close?"

"No, don't worry about it." he gulped. "Mm... Do you want me to put a shirt on?"

"You don't need to. Just lay here with me, please." she pleaded softly.

 _This is not helping, James_. he thought, mentally beating himself up for not getting up and putting something on.

James could feel her hot breath close to his skin, her fingertips barely grazing against his toned chest.

Lightning struck once again, making Joy wrap her arms around his torso, burying her head on the crook of his neck.

He inhaled and exhaled deeply, returning her embrace, pulling her closer to him.

"Where's your happy place?"

"What?" she raised her head, looking up at him.

"Where are you the happiest person alive?"

"Home, with my girl."

James smiled at the mention of Maria, drawing circles on Joy's back.

"Okay, pretend you're home. Maria's in her bedroom, asleep and dreaming about... What do little girls dream about these days?"

"She has a thing for butterflies and unicorns." Joy chuckled.

"Alright, unicorns and butterflies. She's dreaming about those. You're in your own bed, all snuggled up, everything's quiet and there's nothing that can get to you. Not the storm, not Nature, not anything else. Just stay in your happy place."

"Thank you..." she hugged him tighter, hearing his heart beat a little bit faster.

"For what?"

"For always being an amazing guy. I don't think I ever thanked you for that. And for letting me practically grope you like I'm doing right now."

He let out a hearty laugh, kissing her forehead.

"Anytime."

She closed her eyes, sighing contently.

"Do you think Rob dreams about David Beckham?"

"He probably does. Man crush every day."

"Dork."

"Aw, leave him alone. Don't you have a man crush?"

"What? No!"

"You so have! Tell me who it is!"

"Nope, not going down that rabit hole..."

"Please?" Joy pouted.

"You're evil, woman..."

"Yeah, yeah, come on."

"Hugh Jackman."

"Hugh Jackman?"

"Yes. Have you watched _Les Mis_?"

"I have..."

"He's a great singer, he's got a cool accent and he's ripped as fuck. Plus, he really works the charm. That's man crush material right there."

"Point taken." she surrendered, patting his chest. "Who knew you were so good at picking men? Maybe someday you could help me out with my poor choices."

"Trust me, we both suck at this love thing, it's the blind leading the blind."

"This whole puzzle thing has about a thousand pieces to put together, we're doomed."

"You can always find love at eighty-five, like that duchess from Spain."

"Very funny." she pinched his side.

James continued to mindlessly trace random patterns on her exposed skin, trying desperately to keep his mind from going all hazy with her presence and inebriating scent.

"Hey Joy..."

"Mm?"

"Do you really think I'm going to get the picture on the box?" he sputtered.

"Why wouldn't you?"

"I..."

"Hey, look at me." Joy reached up, grabbing his chin and turning his face to her. "You're getting the picture on the box. I promise you."

"I'll take you up on that." James murmured.

"Can you believe how fast the weekend went by?"

"Time flies by when you're having fun."

"We had a good run, didn't we?

"Of course we did..." he grinned. "Good night, Joy."

"Sweet dreams, baby J."

She nuzzled into his chest, finding it weird how it felt so right and natural. They had worked together for nine years, cuddled thousands of times, but somehow this time it was different. No cameras, no crew, no "cut", no alcohol, just pure intimacy and friendship. That had to be it.

His chest raised slowly, coming back down in the same way; he was now asleep, but his grip on her remained tight. Joy closed her eyes, finally letting herself rest.

"I'm going to miss you the most." she whispered.


	8. I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone

Joy opened her eyes, the chirping of the birds outside waking her up. Rubbing the sleep off her eyes, she smiled at James' peaceful expression, his soft snores echoing in the hotel room. Weirdly enough, she felt like lying there, her body intertwined with his, was exactly what she should be doing. Nothing about their late night encounter felt awkward or uncomfortable the morning after. In fact, she'd gladly stay like that a couple more hours, even if it was just to admire the way her TV husband's lips were shaped, or how his stubble made him look so grown-up and mature. James looked incredible even when he was asleep. In fact, she could swear he grew more handsome by the minute.

Tapping her fingertips on his naked chest, she carefully leaned over him, reaching for his phone and checking the time. It was almost half past one. The singer almost shrieked, coming to the realization her flight was set to leave in an hour and she had yet to get up, take a shower and pack.

Making sure she didn't wake him up, Joy untangled herself from James' embrace, detached her legs from his side and climbed off the bed, checking her pajama pants for her key. Planting a chaste goodbye kiss on his forehead, she quickly ran to the door, leaving the room and rushing to hers.

Picking a pair of denim overalls and a sweater, Joy hurriedly took a shower, choosing to throw her hair into a ponytail and putting on a pair of converse before packing and checking the suite to see if she wasn't leaving anything behind.

Fortunately, she managed to hail a cab and make it to the airport just in time to check-in, get through security and enter the plane before the last call.  
Plopping down on her seat, Joy retrieved her phone from her purse, typing a small message to James.

 _Thank you for letting me crash with you. Was running a little late to catch my flight and I didn't want to wake you up - you look quite cuddly and cute when you're asleep. Hope to hear from you soon! Love, Joy.  
PS: you snore pretty loudly._

James was awoken by the loud ringtone he had set for his text notifications.

Feeling the lack of Joy's body heat on top of him, he reached for her, only to realise she wasn't next to him. He opened his eyes, sighing, and took his phone from the nightstand, a small smile appearing on his face when he saw her name on the screen.

He didn't dream about her showing up at his doorstep asking to stay over. It was real. It happened.

The vulnerability she had shown him was so different from what he was used to get from her. She was always the independent one, and he couldn't imagine how helpless she must've felt to ask for his aid. Above all, James loved the fact that she'd come to him. Joy had trusted him to provide her a feeling of safety and comfort and that made his heart soar.

He was flying directly to England from Charlotte, but he still had plenty of time to kill before that.

Getting up, he noticed how eager he was to see Joy again. She had just left, yet there he was, like a lost puppy, waiting for her return.

Without really putting much thought into it, he got ready and left his luggage by the door, going downstairs to at least grab lunch.

Rob and Stephen were sat alone at one of the tables, sunglasses covering their eyes and holding their heads up with their hands. James chuckled to himself, leaning down and placing his arms around his hungover friends' shoulders.

"Good morning, ladies!" he chanted, enthusiastically, channeling his inner Robin Williams.

"I swear I'll punch you in the nuts, you douche." Stephen winced, momentarily taking off his sunglasses.

"Aw, what's the matter, sweetcheeks?" James asked in a mocking tone.

"Shh, J-man. I'm in pain." Robert hushed him.

"I can believe you dweebs got drunk on two beers. By the way, nice singing, Victoria. Really smooth move."

"I don't tiptoe around things, my friend. I go in for the kill with the song choices." Rob pointed out, sipping on his glass of water. "My throat feels as dry as the freaking desert, I'm going to stick to rootbeer from now on."

"Keep telling yourself that, buddy." Stephen condescended, patting his shoulder. "So, young stallion, did you and BJL have a sleepover again?" He inquired, looking up at James. "You did, didn't you? You totally did! Ow, my head..."

"Nothing happened. Jesus, when did you two become so nosy?"

"Since you've become a free man. That means we're all single at the same time. Oh, this is glorious!" Rob crowed.

"Calm down, Earl, it's not like James is going to be single for long." Stephen smirked.

"I'm not?" James raised his brow.

"I give you a week."

"Keep dreaming."

* * *

Joy leaned back on her seat, checking for the tenth time if her phone was on airplane mode and looking at the pictures she had taken throughout the weekend, stopping when she saw one of the photos Ashley had taken of her and James. It was one of the very last pictures, after her friend had said people would go crazy over them and the pair stopped posing. Or at least they were supposed to. James' eyes continued focused solely on Joy as she moved forward to retrieve her phone. He had the sweetest smile on his face and she couldn't help but grin like a fool at the sight of it.

"Aw look at you two, so in love!"

Joy came back to reality, the voice coming from the seat next to hers, where an elderly lady was sat, with a chord holding her large spectacles around her neck, a magazine on her lap and both eyes glued to the singer's phone.

"Oh, we're not... It's not... We're friends." Joy stuttered.

The older woman leaned in a bit closer, putting her glasses on.

"Well, darling, you sure seem like a couple to me."

"We did play a couple for about nine years..."

"You kids are actors? How fabulous!"

"Yeah, we used to be on a show called One Tree Hill." she grinned.

"I'll make sure to look it up when I get home." the lady returned her smile. "I love the show business. I guess it's related to the fact I was named after one of the greats."

"Wow, really?"

"Yes, my dear. I'm Doris. My mother was a big fan of Doris Day back in the day." she held out her hand.

"Joy. It's so nice to meet you." the singer replied, shaking her hand.

"That's a beautiful name, sweetheart. And you have a pretty face to go with it, what a doll!"

"Thank you, that's so nice of you to say."

"You know what? Now that I'm really looking at you, you're reminding me so much of my daughter... George? George, honey!" she stuck her neck out, looking for her husband. "Come here!"

A man around her age came rushing down the aisle, holding a bag of peanuts and a set of headphones under his arm. His grey hair was neatly combed and he had a rather thick mustache adorning his upper lip.

"What is it, love?" George inquired, in a distinct Irish accent.

"This young lady sitting next to me is Joy. She's an actress! Doesn't she look a bit like our Billie?"

George directed his attention to Joy, who waved hello. He looked her up and down, furrowing his brows.

"You miss her too much, Dee. Ms. Joy here doesn't look anything like our daughter." he chuckled, showing his dimples.

"Oh, but she does! Don't fight me on this, George Brennan."

"Alright sweetie, alright, whatever you say." the older man smiled, squeezing her shoulder. "I'm going back to my seat, I got myself some peanuts and a nice film to watch. It was lovely to meet you, Ms. Joy. Have a nice flight!"

"Thanks, you too!" Joy jested.

Joy watched as George kissed Doris' head and walked back to his seat, a few rows ahead.

"Why aren't you seating next to your husband, Mrs. Brennan?"

"Please, call me Doris! Well, we only booked the flight yesterday and these two seats were the ones that were left."

"Do you want me to switch seats with him? It's fine by me!" Joy offered, standing up.

"Oh no, stay! George and I are practically attached to the hip, there's no problem in being separated for a few hours." Doris winked. "Plus, he talks a lot during movies."

Joy chuckled lightly, nodding.

"Your husband..."

"George." she corrected her.

"Sorry. George said you are missing your daughter. How long have you been apart?"

"We've got five kids, four living in different states across the country. Billie lives in Norway, so we only see her two or three times a year."

"Oh... I don't think I could handle living so far away from my daughter."

"Life tricks us sometimes. She went over there to study for a year, fell in love and never came back for good. As long as Billie's happy the ache in my chest is less of a burden, though. How old is yours?"

"Maria's six now. Here." Joy handed her phone to the older lady. "You can swipe left, there's more."

"She's a stunner, Joy. Well done!" Doris gushed, flipping through her camera roll. "Oh and back to the lovebirds." she winked.

"We're..."

"I know, I know." she waved her off. "But he does look very keen."

"No, Doris, he's really not..."

"Wait, are you married?"

"Divorced... But James and I are friends and I think we'll never cross the line to anything other than that." Joy mumbled, looking at the picture.

"You never know... Love is a strange thing, my dear. It knocks us out, pulls us back up and then does the same thing all over again repeatedly. It may blossom from a friendship at any time. Don't ever close yourself off to it just because you might be afraid of the outcome. If I hadn't allowed a friendship to become more than that I wouldn't be married for forty-seven years with five kids and thirteen grandchildren. Making the decision is the difficult part. Trust me, I know a thing or two." Doris patted Joy's hand.

"You do seem like a lovely couple."

"Oh, we've fought long and hard for our love. George came to the United States with a scholarship and the hope of having a better life. His parents didn't have a lot of money but they encouraged their son to pursue his dreams. I met him in an English Literature class in college. We started off as friends: he made me laugh and always walked with me to class, but quickly we realised that there was something more between us. I put up a good fight against my feelings because I didn't want to lose what we had for something that could go terribly wrong, but George never gave up on me. Eventually I decided that I only had one life to live so we started dating. We dated throughout the Summer of nineteen-seventy and, boy, did we have a great time. He met my parents in September and I'm not going to sugarcoat this: they hated George. They wouldn't accept our relationship and tried to convince me to leave him, ultimately giving me an ultimatum: either I got rid of, in their actual words, «that awful low-life immigrant» or they'd cut me out. So I did the only thing I could possibly do in my situation: I married him and left town. We were eighteen at the time..."

"That's one heck of a love story, Doris! Did your parents really cut you out?"

"Unfortunately, I can't exactly pinpoint the last time I even saw them before they passed away." Doris sighed, adjusting her spectacles. "But I have a wonderful family now. They are my everything. If I could go back, I wouldn't have done anything differently. So, my dear Joy, I advise you to ponder giving that boy James a chance. Who knows, you might find just what you are looking for."

"How did you..."

"A mother always knows, right?"

* * *

Heathrow was as busy as usual. James navigated his way through the crowd of oblivious travelers, going down the escalators with his large suitcase in tow.

Coming back to London was bittersweet: he loved the capital and his job, but he knew he had to work with the person he had willed himself to let go of just a few days before. His heart wasn't hurting, but he dreaded the awkward post-break-up moments that surely would take place as soon as he stepped foot on set.

 _Man up, Lafferty._

James stepped off the escalator, spotting the person he was looking for. He squinted, trying to read what his long-time friend had scribbled down on a piece of cardboard.

 _½ of my greatest creation,_ it read.

"I was hoping that, after fifteen years and my constant nagging, you had finally decided to get a decent hair cut."

"You know damn well I'm never giving up the «indie mop» look. It's my trademark.", his former co-worker proclaimed.

He laughed loudly, pulling him into a hug.

"It's great to be back, Mark."


	9. Conversations With My 13 Year Old Self

**AN:** So... James and Joy are out of each other's radars and inevitably there is going to be a reunion with his ex. I've decided to use his current girlfriend's name after all because it makes sense when telling the story. Once again, I don't know her as a person, I do not intend to offend her or state that the way I portray her is who she actually is. I'm just using her name, nothing else. This is NOT a form of hate, this is FICTION and what I wrote is in no way a reflection of my feelings towards said person. Anyway, I just want to thank every single one of you who's reading this right now and has stuck with me since the very beginning. I cannot express my gratitude for your endless support and kind words. I've said this before but your reviews mean EVERYTHING to me. _**OTH fan**_ , I wait impatiently after I post each chapter to know what you think about it. You're always so specific about what makes you so into this story and I LOVE hearing all about it. You understand completely what I'm trying to do and why I'm taking things at this pace, why I want to make this sound as real as possible. Please do keep on writing reviews for this story.  
I'm really sorry it took me so long to update, but I've been really sick this past week and I can't even move properly so…yeah… Anyway, **MERRY CHRISTMAS**!  
Hope everyone enJOYs this chapter. Love, C

* * *

"So… I heard you and Her Royal Highness are no longer a thing." Mark said, trying to make it sound casual.

"Subtle." James chuckled, shaking his head.

"News travel fast." the writer shrugged. "The car's right there." he pointed to the powder blue Fiat 500 parked outside.

"Remind me again why you bought that car?"

"Shut up, it's a nice car." he feigned hurt.

"You're a strange man, Schwahn."

Mark scoffed playfully, shoving him lightly.

The sun was shining as bright as ever over Britain and James contently took it all in, a sudden crisp draft making him shiver.

"I see you still refuse to dress accordingly to the weather."

"I brought warmer clothes. They're in the bag, alright mom?"

"They're no use if you don't actually wear them, you know…" Mark pointed out, popping the trunk open for James to store his large suitcase in.

"Yeah… It's not going to fit in there." the raven-haired man stated, resting his hands on his hips.

"That's what she said!" the writer chanted, earning a disapproving look from James. "Oh, come on, you have to admit that was quite suggestive."

"I guess I kind of had it coming…" the actor acknowledged, picking up his luggage and trying to get it in the trunk. "See? There's no way you can take this there."

"You're seriously underestimating my Tetris skills."

James raised his eyebrow, sticking his hands in his pockets.

"Okay, let's see what you can do, then."

Mark smirked, pushing his hair away from his face before rubbing his hands together and proceeding to try to force the trolley in, failing miserably.

"I'm going to wait inside, Tetris Master." he laughed, patting his friend's shoulder and climbing into the small car.

He turned on the radio, taking his phone from one of his pockets and switching it back on, receiving a text from Robert.

 _Say hello to the Mrs. from me ;)_

"Dick." James cackled quietly, scrolling through his recent messages, only to find himself reading Joy's once again.

 _Hope to hear from you soon. Love, Joy._

He smiled at the thought of seeing her again in a short span of time, as Sheryl Crow's version of _The First Cut Is The Deepest_ started playing through the speakers. He immediately traveled back to the day the blonde singer had made an appearance on one of season one's episodes, performing that song. James remembered how excited Joy was about Sheryl and how star struck she was when she got to hear her sing. They had to do about six takes for that scene because Joy kept asking him to pinch her. It was one of his fondest memories of their days in Wilmington.

One of the back doors was swung open, his suitcase being thrown in, followed by a loud groan.  
Mark climbed in next to him, getting the keys in the ignition. A large smirk formed on James' lips but, before he could even get a word out of his mouth, the writer pointed his index finger at him.

"Don't."

* * *

Joy snuck behind her daughter's back, placing her hands gently over the big brown eyes that mirrored her own. Maria was sitting on the couch, watching cartoons and eating a slice of cake.

"Guess who?" she beamed.

"Mommy!" the little girl giggled, placing the nearly empty plate on the small table and running to hug her mother.

"How did you know it was me?" the singer pretended to be intrigued, as she held Maria tightly, showering her with kisses.

"I'm six, you know… "

"That's right, you're a big girl now… I can't really surprise you anymore, can I?"

"Well, no, not really, momma. Ms. Helen told me that I'm a very smart young girl."

"Of course you are, sweetheart. Never doubt that for a second." Joy said, standing back, looking at her child and seeing her whole world looking back at her with such adoration she felt it could make her heart burst. "Where's grandma?"

"In the kitchen."

"Alright, baby, I'm just going to talk to her and then we'll be on our way. Do you have your overnight bag ready to go?"

"Yeah, it's upstairs."

"Go pick it up, please. And don't forget to take the plate back to the kitchen when you're done." she warned, leaving the six-year-old in the living room and padding to the kitchen.

Her mother was cleaning the oven, failing to hear her come in.

"I see you still do anything to avoid watching _My Little Pony_ with my child." Joy smirked, leaning against the kitchen island and crossing her arms over her chest.

Cathie Lenz jumped slightly at the sound of her daughter's voice, accidentally hitting her head in the oven. She quickly got up, cleaning her hands and rubbing the sore spot on her forehead.

Joy moved to hug her mother, leaving a soft kiss on the injured area.

"Here, all better." she winked.

"You scared me, munchkin!" Cathie scolded. "And I could not endure through another episode of magical talking ponies going on adventures. A woman can only take so much, Joy."

"You wouldn't want to live in my house, then." Joy declared, getting down on her knees to inspect the appliance her mother had so dutifully scrubbed off. "All clean. Where's dad?"

"He went out for dinner with Tate and the rest of the boys."

"I don't think they can be qualified as «boys» if they're over fifty, mom." she teased.

"Oh shush, you!"

Joy stuck her tongue out, jokingly mocking her mother.

"Anyway, I'm heading home now. Thank you so much for looking after Maria over the weekend."

"I thought you were having dinner here tonight..." the older woman frowned.

"I know, but I hardly slept these past couple of days, I'm really looking forward to lie down and actually rest. Did Maria…"

"Yes, she had dinner over ten minutes before you got here. Are you sure you don't want to stay?"

"I am. Thank you anyway, momma."

"Alright, alright… But before you go…" she began, pulling out her phone from her apron and handing it to Joy. "What is this?"

"Oh, you saw the picture."

"I saw it alright..." Cathie pressed her lips into a thin line, furrowing her brows. "I think I'm framing it!" she cheered.

"Mom!" the singer moaned, rolling her eyes.

"James looks sexy!"

"Jesus Christ…"

"He is quite a sight for sore eyes. Don't play innocent, young lady."

"Why are we having this conversation?"

"Because I was informed he is now single and ready to mingle." her mother nudged her side. "And you two have always looked impossibly cute together. Do you have anything you want to tell your birthgiver about?"

Joy sighed loudly, feeling like she was reliving her teenager years all over again. Cathie had always felt at ease when it came to talk to her daughter about anything and everything, overlooking the fact that she was an introvert and it was awkward for her to discuss certain subjects with her mother.

"Can't you just act cool for once?"

"Of course not, honeybee! I mean, have you seen that picture?"

"I love you mom, but I'm really tired and I've got to get going. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?" she moved to kiss her mother's cheek.

"Bethany Joy, don't you dare to…"

"I'm ready, mommy!" Maria chanted, holding her bag with one of her small hands and an empty plate with the other, standing on her tiptoes to leave it on the counter.

The singer looked at the older woman, shrugging.

"Saved by the bell, hu? Sweetheart, go give nana a kiss goodbye."

The six-year-old did as she was told, running back to Joy's side afterwards.

"Thank you again. Give daddy a kiss from me!"

Cathie waved her goodbye, resting her elbows on the kitchen island and laying her eyes back on the famed photograph.

"Oh, there's definitely something going on..." Mrs. Lenz mumbled to herself.

* * *

"So, how is everybody?" Mark inquired, pulling up on set.

"Robert and Stephen are a dynamic duo of single ladies, Chad's got a new baby at home, Hilarie's all bubbly, Sophia has the best comebacks, Ashley's the nicest girl ever, Antwon is effortlessly funny... Basically, everything's the same."

"Joy?"

"What about her?"

"You didn't mention your wifey."

"Oh... Joy's... Joy, you know? Breathtaking, witty, funny, classy..." James babbled.

"Single..." the writer gave him a knowing look, twirling his car key on his finger while they walked inside the studio unit.

"Here we go again..." the actor shook his head, running his hand through his dark hair.

"I'm just saying..."

"How do you know these things? You're not even on social media."

"I have my sources."

"Robert told you about it."

"Robert told me about it." Mark confirmed.

"Figures." he grumbled. "So, which part are we shooting first today?"

"The major love scene between the princess and the bodyguard."

"Not awkward at all, then!" James hooted, raising his fist in the air.

Everyone gathered around on set, the crew setting up the cameras and the remaining equipment so they could get through the first scene of the episode James was directing. He spotted the woman he had been dreading to see in the back, chatting with her TV brother.

Mark called out for the actors and the crew to get ready to start filming, making the Australian actress look his way, noticing the raven-haired man awkwardly standing next to him. She excused herself and waltzed over to the pair.

"Good morning, lads!" she smiled gingerly, glancing at her former boyfriend through her eyelashes.

"Hey Al..." James greeted, leaning in for a small hug.

"Jesus, darling, do you need a nap? You seem tired." Alex proded, grabbing his chin and inspecting his face. "Lighten up, aye? It's show time!"

He sighed heavily when she turned her back on him, which Mark found extremely amusing.

"Get to work, Marky Mark." the actor huffed, moving to find his chair and headphones.

"I thought we had decided that nickname was off-boundaries outside of Wilmington, North Carolina!" the writer whimpered, sitting next to him.

The first few takes made the whole scene feel completely fake, almost like the two on-screen lovers were robots.

"Guys, this isn't working." he declared, pushing himself off his chair and heading towards the actors. "It doesn't look like you two are about to make passionate love to each other, it looks like you're being forced into it. Trust me, if I'm not buying it, the audience won't either."

"Well, you could always take Tom's place and show us how it's done." she suggested.

"Can we try again, please? From the top!" James commanded, ignoring her flirty tone.

"Boo, you're no fun." the actress pouted, leaving the bed and returning to her initial position behing the bedroom door.

It took them three more takes to get it right, or at least for James to think it felt genuine.

 _I do NOT snore! You, on the other hand, talk in your sleep. Ha!_ _  
_ _I'm actually on set right now, directing a love scene. They had to shoot it eight times. Pretty sure we would've nailed it in one take back in the day... Rookies!_ _  
_ _Did you get home safe?_ _  
_ _J. ,_ he typed on his phone, biting his bottom lip.

"Any news?" Alex inquired, smirking.

"Hmm... No, just sending a text."

"Alright. Listen, I'd really like to have a word with you after we wrap things up here. Meet me in my dressing room?"

"Yeah, sure, no problem."

They finished shooting all the scenes for the day in the middle of the afternoon due to Mark's busy schedule, much to the director's dismay. A full-on conversation with his ex awaited him, and he couldn't think of a good excuse he could use to avoid it. He went through his notifications one more time before he got up and made his way to the star's private room.

James reluctantly knocked on her door, only to find himself being pulled inside and pushed against the wall, instantly feeling her lips on his. It took him a few seconds to process what was actually happening, returning her eager kiss in the meantime. She tasted like a mixture of cigarettes and chocolate, something he had grown accustomed to when they were dating. The raven-haired man let his mind wonder off down memory lane, being interrupted by a buzz in his back pocket. _Joy. Wait, what the fuck am I doing?_

"Alex."

"Mmm..." she moaned into his now lipstick-stained lips.

"We need to stop." James pleaded. "I'm serious Al, stop."

The actress pulled back, stunned by his blatant rejection.

"I want us to get back together, James. This whole break-up thing was pretty stupid. I miss you." she disclosed, her fingers running under his shirt.

He took a deep breath, moving her prying hands away from his toned stomach to drop at her sides.

"It wasn't a stupid idea. We both know we aren't right for each other. We're better off this way."

Alexandra shook her head in disbelief, sitting down on a black leather chaise longue. Her former lover took a seat next to her, snaking his arm around her shoulders.

"You deserve someone who will give you the moon and the stars and I don't think I'm the one suited for it. We were numb, broken. And you should never run back to what broke you."

She payed attention to his words, nodding while he spoke, but as soon as the room went quiet she got up, picking up her phone from her purse, fumbling with it for a bit, shoving it right in his face once she found what she was looking for.

"Is this about her?" the feisty brunette hissed.

"What does Joy have to do with any of this, Alex?"

"That's what I'm asking you! You couldn't wait to break-up so you could finally get into her pants, hu?" she barked. "I knew it! I knew you were hung up on her from the minute I saw you together last year! I can't believe I let you convince me it was all in my head!"

"There's nothing going on between Joy and I! Do you really think I'd be fooling around with her behind your back? I would never do that!" James yelled back, standing up ad well.

"Yeah, right... You know what? I gave you another chance to get back together and be with me, and you refused to take it. I hope you and Ms. BJ live happily ever after, you prick!"

"We aren't..." he began, before Alex left, slamming the door behind her. "Fuck!" the raven-haired man cursed, hitting the large mirror on the wall with his fist, dozens of shards of broken glass dragging through his knuckles.

He took a look at his bloody hand, wincing in pain.

"Shit."

* * *

"Eenie, meenie, miney, moe, catch a tiger by the toe. If he hollers, let him go, my mother said to pick the very best one..."

"And you are it." Joy sang.

"No, mommy! It's «and you are not it»." the little girl corrected.

Joy looked at her daughter through the rear view mirror, smiling softly.

"I know, but you are the very best one for me... How was your weekend at nana and papa's?"

"It was great. Pappy took me to the park and we had ice cream, but nana doesn't know about that part, so don't tell her, okay?"

"Okay." she chuckled in response to her daughter's request.

"Then nana and papa watched _My Little Pony_ with me and grandpa even let me paint his toenails."

"Oh I would've loved to see that!"

She pulled up on her driveway, climbing out of the car and waiting for Maria to do the same before locking up and leading her inside.

"How was your weekend, momma?" the six-year-old tugged on her mother's dungarees to get her attention.

"It was nice, thank you for asking!"

"I was worried about you..." Maria stated, following the singer.

"How come?" Joy furrowed her eyebrows, carrying her luggage upstairs.

"I was checking the weather on grandma's phone and I saw that it was going to rain really hard in Wilmy. I know how scared you get when you're alone during storms..."

The actress stopped on her tracks, dropping her suitcase and getting down on her knees, facing the little girl.

"You don't need to worry about that, baby. I had a very good friend there with me." she winked, kissing the tip of Maria's nose. "Do you mind sleeping with me tonight, though? I think I might get scared again..."

"Don't worry mommy, I'll protect you." her little girl assured her, wrapping her small arms around Joy's neck. "Always and forever."

* * *

"Woah, that's a lot of blood, mate."

James looked up, glancing around the nearly empty emergency room to find whoever spoke up. His blue eyes landed on a boy, who sat three seats away from him.

"Hmm... Yeah, I guess." he took a glance at the small towel wrapped around his injured hand, almost soaked in blood.

"I'm Bailey."

"James."

"Bloody hell, how did you do that?"

"Punched a mirror. What are you here for?"

"I'm diabetic. Mum freaked out about the high levels of sugar in my blood when I checked at lunch so here we are."

"That must suck."

"Not really, I got to skip school and avoid my wanker of a History teacher. And I can use the whole "hold on sugar, I'm diabetic" line on girls. Plus, I think I'll make it to basketball practice on time, so I'm good."

"Don't you guys prefer soccer over here?" James questioned, genuinely intrigued.

"Football, yankee. It's football, yeah?"

"Sure. Football." the actor chuckled as the boy scooted a couple of seats closer to him.

"Most lads play football, but I've always been better with my hands. I'm tall and I have a fantastic jumpshot so..." the boy shrugged.

"Doesn't diabetes keep you from playing?"

"If I'm careful I can do anything. Anyway, back to you. What's up? Do you have a habit of punching mirrors back home or...?"

"It's complicated..."

"I'm pretty sure it involves a lass."

"Two, in fact."

"Nice!" Bailey snickered sarcastically. "Are you dating two at the same time? That's messed up, Jimmy."

"No, I'm not. I broke up with my girlfriend a few days ago and I spent the weekend with a former co-worker at a convention."

"Let me guess: you like your lady friend."

"That's the thing, I don't really know how I feel about her. I definitely feel something but I don't know if I like her in a romantic way, you know?"

"What's her name?"

"Joy."

"Is she fit?"

"She's gorgeous."

"Is she nice?"

"The nicest woman ever."

"Does she fancy you?"

"I have no idea."

"Well, you better figure it out then. It's not that complicated, really. As I see it, the good ones aren't available forever and you should never keep a lady waiting. Basic etiquette right there. Go for it. Carpe diem, mate." he patted James' back.

The actor knitted his brows together.

"How old are you, Bailey?"

"Thirteen."

"You're a witty kid."

"Thanks?"

"Alright, punchy. They say they can take a look at your right hook now. Come on." Mark announced, coming from the infirmary.

James got up, holding his left fist for Bailey to bump.

"Nice meeting you, B. Shoot some hoops for me at practice today."

"I will." the boy smiled. "You're a nice yankee, James. You'll get the bird."


	10. Where The Lines Overlap

**AN:** HAPPY NEW YEAR! Thank you for Reading and letting me know what you think about this fanfic. Hope you all have a wonderful year, full of love, health and happiness. Love, C

* * *

Joy shook the doctor's hand, excusing herself and leaving the room, walking through the clinic's waiting room towards the exit.

"Joy?" a familiar voice startled her.

She stopped dead on her tracks, completely caught off-guard.

"James? Hi!"

The actress saw him get up, coming to greet her with a peck on the cheek. He smelled heavenly.

"Hey, I'm here too!" Stuart stood up from his seat, letting his presence be known.

"Little Lafferty! I haven't seen you in ages!" Joy grinned, reaching out to hug her former co-star's brother.

"We've still got the whole «if we're both still single when you're forty we'll get together» deal going on, right?"

"Would I ever bail out on you?" she chuckled, pinching his cheek.

"Didn't think so!" Stuart smiled, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

James ignored the slight hint of jealousy he felt when he was reminded of the understanding Stuart had reached with Joy back when they were shooting season one, before she started dating the man that would later become her husband. His brother was fifteen at the time and had a huge crush on her, which the singer found extremely endearing, so she took him up on his offer.

He cleared his throat, making his sibling smirk and remove his arm from where it rested.

She rose an eyebrow, looking the eldest brother up and down, when her eyes landed on his right hand, wrapped up in gauze.

"What's up with that, baby J?" Joy pointed to his injured member.

"That? Bar fight." Stuart shrugged. "A big, scary dude was harassing this very nice girl and James asked him nicely to leave her alone. The man threw the first punch so, naturally, my boy defended himself and took a swing at him. Out of nowhere this gigantic Yeti-looking fella appears and smashes a beer bottle on the counter, moving in to stab my bro, who tried to take it from his hands. They struggled a bit but eventually James got the bottle and a pretty nasty wound with it. Five stitches, bam!"

James covered his face with his left hand, shaking his head.

"Oh. Sounds dangerous." Joy teased condescendingly, patting his back.

"It was, but you know James, he handled it." the younger man assured, backing away from the pair.

"Of course he did." she winked, turning her attention back to her TV husband. "How's the healing going?"

"I'm removing the stitches now, but I think this one is going to leave a mark." James smiled, lifting his hand up.

"Well, think of the amount of women you'll pick up with the bar fight story..." the singer snickered.

"Stuart's imagination has always been...fertile. I'm sorry about all the bullshit he tried to feed you. What really happened wasn't even remotely that exciting."

"I figured as much... I think it's cute how he's got your back with the manly, chivalrous story. I'd love to hear all about the real version of events one day. I've got to go now, though. I'm picking up Maria from school and dropping her off at Michael's for the weekend before work. I'm pretty late already so..."

"Yeah, of course, go." James stuttered, giving her another peck to say goodbye. "It was nice seeing you again."

"Don't be a stranger." she asked, walking away.

James watched her leave with a slight twinge of unexpected sadness, not even realising he had zoned out until his sibling started making kissing noises beside him.

"Oh, James, don't be a stranger." Stuart taunted, pouting his lips at him, earning a slap in the back of the head. "Ow! Are you going to call her or am I going to have to intervene?"

"God, Stu, I still have no idea if I actually feel something for Joy or if it's all just me trying to get Alex out of my system. I can't ask her out on a date!"

"It's not a date, you presumptuous bastard, it's just two friends hanging out. How are you supposed to know if you like her or not if you two don't interact face-to-face?"

"I..."

"Either you call her or I'll make my move. She's even more beautiful than I remembered..." his brother trailed off, smirking at the reaction he got from him.

"You're the spawn of the devil." the actor mumbled under his breath.

"Yeah, but you'll thank me later."

"Don't hold your breath, little brother. Stay here and wait for my name to be called up, I've got to go outside."

"Aye, aye captain!" Stuart extolled, giving him a salute.

James rolled his eyes jokingly, exiting the clinic and going through his phone, looking up _her_ number.

 _It's all or nothing, Lafferty._

The call went straight to voicemail, ending with Joy asking the caller to leave a message. The raven-haired man took a deep breath, trying to make the message sound as casual as possible. He surely didn't want to seem desperate.

"Hi, it's James. James Lafferty, but you probably know that by now because I am the only person in the world who can be this awkward on the phone. Anyway, I know we just saw each other but I'd like to hang out soon, we haven't had a spontaneous outing in a while... Text me or give me a call if you want to go out for brunch sometime. I promise I'll tell you all about my badass scar. So... Mm... Yeah... Let me know if you're up to it. Stay sweet, parakeet!"

 _Stay sweet, parakeet? What the fuck, James? What is wrong with you?_

James cringed inwardly, ultimately deciding that was the best it was going to get. He really was awkward.

* * *

"Cut! That's a wrap on Ms. Bethany Joy Lenz, everybody!" the director called out, making everyone clap and whistle in response.

Joy bowed down, smiling widely as she finished yet another project, overcome with gratitude and a sense of accomplishment. The actress would never take her job for granted and she was so happy to be able to do what she loved for a living. It didn't even feel like work.

Returning to her dressing room after long hours of filming, she turned her phone back on, taking off the black stilettos she was wearing, undoing the buttons of her character's jeans and sliding them off, putting her own on.

Her mobile device rang twice, letting her know she had one missed call and one new voice message.

The singer quickly changed to her clothes, leaving her character's garments neatly folded on a chair, forgetting the notifications on her phone until she got home, showered, ate and called her ex-husband, wanting to say good night to Maria.

"Okay, honey, sleep tight. Love you." Joy cooed, hanging up only to check her voicemail immediately afterwards.

 _Hi, it's James. James Lafferty, but you probably know that by now because I am the only person in the world who can be this awkward on the phone. Anyway, I know we just saw each other but I'd like to hang out soon, we haven't had a spontaneous outing in a while... Text me or give me a call if you want to go out for brunch sometime. I promise I'll tell you all about my badass scar. So... Mm... Yeah... Let me know if you're up to it. Stay sweet, parakeet!_

She almost fell off her bed, snorting at her old friend's choice of words. Only James could say those kinds of things and get away with it. He sounded slightly nervous and impossibly cute.

The singer returned the call, waiting for him to pick up.

"Hello?" his voice was raspy, as if he had been sleeping for hours.

"Did I wake you up?"

"Hmm...Kind of." he chuckled.

"Dude, it's half-past nine."

"I was reading through a new script and ended up snoozing."

"That boring?"

"Unbelievably boring. What's up?"

"I was calling about the message you left me..."

James sat straight up on his couch, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand.

"We should definitely go out for brunch. When are you free?" Joy inquired, leaning against the headboad, playing with some loose strands of her dark blonde hair.

"Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow works for me." she bit her lip, a small smile playing on her lips. "Let me know the time and the place."

"I will. Good night, Ms. Lenz."

"See you later alligator." the actress snorted, hearing a loud groan coming from the other side of the line. "Night, baby James."

* * *

"Hello...is it me you're looking for?" he sang completely out of key from behind her, squeezing gently her shoulders with his large hands.

"Hey Lionel! I was starting to think you had stood me up."

"Never, Diana." James affirmed, placing a hand on the small of her back. "Come with me." he grinned.

The amazing view over downtown Los Angeles from the rooftop of the building on Hill street rendered Joy speechless. James gazed at her attentively, eagerly trying to figure out her reaction as he guided her to their table.

"How the hell did I not know about this place?" she uttered, still completely baffled over the beauty of it all. "Well done, you!" the singer held her hand up.

He chuckled, giving her the requested high-five.

" _Perch_ 's great, hu?" the actor smirked. "I came here with Stephen actually, a couple of years ago. That was a weird day."

Joy twisted her lips into an amused smile, placing her index finger over them.

"Let me guess, they totally thought you guys were a gay couple."

"They totally thought we were a gay couple."

"Nice."

"We would definitely make a good-looking pair if that was the case."

"Undoubtedly."

"The second time I came here I was with..."

"Alex..." Joy completed his sentence, leaving them in a comfortable silence. "I know you had to work with her two weeks ago... Do you want to talk about it?"

"I did promise to tell you the story behind the five stitches..." James sighed, seeing one of the waitresses walk by and waving to ask her to supply them the menu. "But first, let's check the list."

They both went through the menu, making their order once they were done.

"So, the wound..." Joy began.

"The wound... Well... Alex came onto me in her dressing room and for a moment I let myself go but then I realised that what we were doing was wrong so I stopped her. She was pissed off and started saying you and I had something going on, that she should've known. When she left I kind of punched a mirror and...well...got this."

"She still has feelings for you, you know." the actress pointed out.

"She might."

"Do you think Alex would freak out about the slightest possibility of us being together if she didn't? I get that she feels betrayed and mad, you guys just broke up. You should talk to her and set things straight." Joy advised, taking a sip from the tea the waitress had just left on their table, along with their food.

The way Joy had just explained the whole situation without having met his ex-girlfriend more than once left James bewildered. She noticed how confused he looked, reaching for his left hand an grazing her thumb over his knuckles.

"It's not that hard to figure out, it's _Women 101_. Don't put much thought into it, just be honest with her and speak from the heart."

His icy blue eyes shot up, locking with her honey brown ones. The actor couldn't exactly pinpoint why it was happening, but her touch made goosebumps raise all over his skin.

"I can try..." he spoke quietly.

"You'll be fine, trust me." the singer assured him. "Anyway, what on Earth possessed you to eat that?"

"You should know this here is an amazing _Ahi Tuna Tartar_ , and it's delicious."

"I'd definitely need a tub of ice cream to cleanse my palate after putting a «tuna tartar» in my mouth."

"You haven't even tried it! Here." he offered her his food. "Come on."

Joy rolled her eyes playfully, taking one small bite, her face immediately showing her disgust.

"Oh god, no, that's awful. I'll stick to scones and croissants. And you, sir, owe me a tub of ice cream."

The pair chatted away for three more hours, completely oblivious to their surroundings.

"The sun is setting already." Joy remarked, holding her head up with her fist, her elbow propped up on the chair's arm as she set her eyes on the spectacular view. "Thank you for inviting me to come here."

"I thought you'd might like it..."

The singer was too busy being mesmerized by the glorious sunset before her, failing to realise James had been admiring her gorgeous semblance. He watched her in awe, taking in the way the sunlight reflected on her golden hair, her peaceful gaze rested on the horizon and a small smile decorating her features. The raven-haired man couldn't help but stare at her like she was a work of art. In fact, she truly was. It was so easy to waltz around the line between friendship and something more. To be honest, he'd always danced around it, coming back and forth between the two realities, never taking it one step too far, but now he was starting to fear he had reached the point of no return.

"Have you ever thought about where we would be right now if the show hadn't been picked up?" Joy's voice snapped him out of his trance, making him look in the same direction as her.

"Not really..." James shifted in his seat. "Thinking about what could've been isn't going to change anything. For better or for worse, everything that happened in my life lead me to be here, right now, with you. I'm glad it did."

She turned her head to the side to face him, not saying a word, looking at him in such a tender way it made his heart skip a beat.

"Hi! I'm really sorry to bother you guys, but I'm a huge fan and it's my last day in L.A. so… would you mind taking a picture with me, please?" a teenage girl with pastel pink hair chirped.

"Hey! Of course, it's very nice to meet you..." the actress waited for the girl to say her name.

"Grace." the fan introduced herself.

"Grace! Beautiful name." Joy complimented, putting her arm around the petite young woman. "Is James supposed to be in the picture as well?"

"Yeah, I mean, if he wants to."

"Sure, that's what I'm here for." he stood up, showing her his million-dollar smile.

She noticed how the girl swooned over the handsome man as he took the phone from her and placed his arm up, taking a snap of the trio. The effect he had on girls never seemed to simmer down, no matter how many years had passed since he was just a teenage boy with a pretty face.

"Thank you so much!" Grace crowed. "I'll stop being a cockblocker now!"

James and Joy said goodbye, waiting until the fan walked away to break into a fit of laughter over the _cockblocker_ line, getting back to their seats and noticing how the fairy lights around the lounge were now all on, giving the rooftop a whole new look.

"I think I might just live here from now on." Joy whispered.

"They'll probably let you do that if you sing for the jazz quartet."

"There's a jazz quartet? That's it, I'm moving."

* * *

A loud buzz filled Joy's ears as her phone rang non-stop on her bedside table. Groaning loudly, she felt up the wooden furniture, grabbing her mobile device, not even bothering to open her eyes.

"Hello?"

"Good morning, love!"

"Sophia, hey! What's up?"

"We're going for a run. Get ready, I'll be there in ten." she informed her.

The singer took a look at the vintage alarm clock she had on her nightstand, her eyes widening.

"Jesus Christ, Soph, it's six-thirty in the morning."

"The sun is up and shining bright. Your ass better not still be in bed when I get to your house, or else…" Sophia warned sternly.

"Why did I ever think it'd be a good idea to give you my address?"

"I'm good during emergencies."

"You're not even here most of the time…" Joy reasoned, pushing the covers off her body.

"Don't you try to sass me, young lady. I'm taking you out to do some exercise. It's healthy. Let's go!"

"Alright, alright, I'll go, jeez."

Getting geared up for jogging, she tied her hair in a ponytail with a pink scrunchie, drinking a cup of coffee and eating an apple before hearing Sophia honk outside.

"What's up with the frown, Kanye?" her friend poked her cheek when she entered the car.

"I should be lying face down on my king-size bed, but instead I'm on a car headed for a run with an overly-cheerful morning person. What do you think?" she grunted, using her sunglasses to cover up her tired eyes.

"You stayed out late last night, didn't you?" Sophia smirked, not deviating her attention from the road.

"No!"

"You so did! You know I can see through you like cellophane!"

"Okay, I did." Joy confessed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Ohh, did Bethany Joy go on a date? Who is he?"

"It was not a date!"

"Who is he?"

"James…"

"Knew it! I've got to call Robert, I'm getting dinner at his expense."

"We just went out for a late brunch and ended up talking for hours. Don't make it to be something it's not." the singer pleaded, reaching out and turning the radio on.

"Right… I'll quit hammering you about it…for now."

The two women sang along to the songs that came on, forgetting about James and everything that his name implied. Finally, after an hour and a half car ride, Sophia parked under a tall tree, exiting her vehicle.

"Are you coming?" she asked, resting her hands on her hips.

"Did you really just drive to San Bernardino to go for a run?"

"I like it here, it's secluded, quiet, beautiful…" Sophia shrugged, starting to stretch.

Joy shook her head, mimicking her former co-worker and climbing out of the cherry red Mustang, starting her warm-up.

"Water?"

"In the cooler. It's in the trunk."

The singer picked up two canteens and followed Sophia into the Lake Arrowhead unincorporated community.

"So, are we running or what?" she challenged.

"Oh, it's so on, sister."

Joy and Sophia ran alongside each other on a dirt road path for about forty-five minutes, before the _Chicago P.D_ actress sped up her pace and disappeared into the middle of the trees.

"Hey, wait up!" the blonde woman called out, panting and trailing after her friend.

She ran for a bit more, only to find herself near a pond, surrounded by gigantic pine trees. Several mountain streams could be heard from afar, setting quite a picturesque view with a forest backdrop. Her mouth dropped open at the sight of a log trellis covered with hanging vines and a beautiful gazebo.

"Where the hell are we?" Joy asked, completely bewitched by the beauty of the site.

"This" Sophia began. "is Hidden Creek."

"Is that a dance floor?" the singer inquired, looking behind her friend.

"Joy, focus, darling."

"Sorry."

"Remember when Haley told Brooke that love meant giving chances when there were no more chances left to give?" the actress asked, leaning against one of the logs, a small dimpled grin on her face.

"Yeah, vaguely, why?"

Joy sat down next to Sophia, drinking from her canteen and wondering where the conversation was headed.

"After the scene was done, you touched my arm, smiled, and said «I really mean it, Soph, don't give up on love and all it has to offer you. I know you've been let down and hurt before, but I am absolutely sure you'll find someone who will make you feel so much love you'll be scared your heart might burst. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll wonder about who you were before that feeling came and knocked the air out of you. It'll be so worth it. Wait and watch it unfold.»

The singer nudged her friend gently, smiling.

"I remember that…"

"You were right. I waited, I struggled, but I did it: I found love. It's Jesse. I wanted to let you know that I'll always be thankful for that little speech you gave me. Especially now. Your words helped me find the strength to carry on." Sophia wiped a couple of tears that had managed to escape her eyes, straightening up and recomposing herself after the emotional moment they had just shared. "Tell me, what do you think about this place?"

"I am in love with it. It's like walking into a fairytale."

"I'm glad you do, because I booked it for two weeks from now."

Joy knitted her brows together, not understanding what she meant.

"Are you having a party? Soph, no one's going to drive an hour and a half and do a forty-five minute run to come here for a party, sweetheart."

"Well, they better. It's my wedding, after all."

"What?"

"I'm getting married!"


	11. Stranger Things Have Happened

"What?"

"I'm getting married!"

A huge grin grew on Joy's face. She stood up immediately, tackling Sophia and hugging her tightly.

"Oh my god! Are you serious?"

"Yeah!" Sophia nodded, laughing.

"I'm so happy for you! Congratulations! This is amazing!" the singer gushed, completely losing her cool.

"I know, I can't believe it!"

"Wait... The wedding's in two weeks? How did you manage to pull that off?"

"I might have been secretly planning it since Christmas..." the _Chicago P.D_ actress disclosed, looking down at her feet coyly.

"What? You've been engaged since Christmas and you didn't tell me about it?"

"Technically, I've been engaged since my birthday, but I kind of procrastinated ninety-nine percent of the planning till around Christmas..."

"Why am I only being informed now?" Joy raised an eyebrow, her small hands resting on her hips.

"We wanted to organize everything before telling anyone about it. Plus, if people only knew we were getting married two weeks prior to the deed, there'd be less of a chance of someone blabbing to the wrong person and it ending up on the internet. And I do love the element of surprise."

"What if I had things planned for that day already?"

"Please, you mostly stay at home alone knitting and watching paranormal documentaries when Maria's at her father's." Sophia dismissed the possibility.

Joy gasped, earning a pointed look from her friend.

"Fair enough." she shrugged.

"Okay, hear me out: my mom insisted I had to get married on a Sunday but I wanted to have a grandious weekend so we booked the cabins for some of our guests to stay here. Starts Friday night, ends at dawn on Monday."

"Right, and who are these guests?"

"You and some of our friends. Parents, family and other guests will arrive on the day. Don't worry, I'm inviting loverboy as well." the actress winked, starting to head back to the trail.

Joy scoffed, drying off her sweaty forehead with her tank top.

"Do I know any other people?"

"Rob, Hil, Shantel and Stephen. I'm only inviting a few childhood friends, co-workers and immediate family. Keeping it low-key."

"I still can't believe you waited until now to let me know you were getting married."

"I've still got something to tell you..."

"Are you pregnant?!"

"No, god, no."

"Are you that opposed to having children?"

"No, I mean, I want to, just not planning for it to happen now. I don't feel the need to rush into anything."

"Then what is it?"

"You're going to be by my side at the altar."

"You mean...?"

"I want you to be my maid of honor. My childhood best friend is eight months pregnant and her ankles are really swollen, so it's quite uncomfortable for her to stand for the duration of the ceremony. That means you're my fantastic back-up."

"I'd be honored, Soph." Joy smiled, hugging her friend before they both climbed into the car and drove back to Los Angeles.

"One last thing..."

"Lord have mercy..."

"You _must_ throw me a bachelorette party. By the end of the day all the guests will have been informed about the wedding, so I'll text you the names and numbers of the women I want to have there. Oh, and it has to take place next Friday."

"Do you want me to set your bachelorette party up or are you doing it all yourself?" the singer chuckled.

"You know I'm a control freak, I can't help it!"

"Relax." Joy patted her leg. "I got you."

* * *

"So now you're in charge of planning her last hurrah?" James inquired, holding his phone to his ear with the help of his shoulder, while putting the lasagna he made in the oven.

"Yep." Joy confirmed, popping the 'p'. "I just have a tiny problem with that: I have no idea how I'm going to do it. I mean, my idea of fun on a Friday night is staying at home playing board games and watching scary movies or those really corny completely unrealistic rom-coms."

James smiled at the mention of her calm evening plans, walking away from the kitchen and turning on the TV in his living room, zapping through the thousands of channels he had paid for.

"Oh sweet, innocent, Bethany Joy... There's so much to do in L.A on a Friday night. Bachelorette parties practically plan themselves."

"Easy for you to say, Mr _. I-Love-Going-To-Raves_." she quipped, bitting hard on her bottom lip as she tried to hold up the mattress with just one hand in order to change the sheets on her bed. "I don't really like crowded places, but I'll make a sacrifice for Sophia."

"That's very noble of you." the actor teased. "Hold on, Stephen's here." he said when he heard the doorbell ring.

James opened the door, signaling Stephen to come in, stepping aside for him to do so.

"I'm just going to finish my call, I'll be right back. " he told his friend, entering the kitchen. "Hey, I'm back."

"As I was saying, I'm completely out of ideas. I considered karaoke, but it's such a typical thing for me to suggest, they'd be bored out of their minds.

The actor was mindlessly going through his unopened mail while she was speaking, randomly finding a flyer that caught his attention.

"What about a concert?"

"A concert?"

"Apparently New Kids On The Block, Boyz II Men and Paula Abdul are performing Friday at Hollywood Bowl."

"Yes! That's perfect!" Joy jabbered.

"Yeah?" the raven-haired man asked, drinking from his beer bottle.

"Yeah! Oh James, if only you knew how much I love you right now!" she raved, speed-walking to her desk to check the availability of tickets.

James choked on his drink, coughing uncontrollably, making Stephen run to his rescue.

"Do you need me to apply the _Heimlich maneuver_? Dude, I know it would technically envolve me practically grinding against your ass, but we're bros, it doesn't matter, okay?" he babbled, closing the distance between them. "It'll be okay, hold on!"

"Stephen" the actor said in between coughs. "I'm fine, it was just beer."

"Oh. You know I was prepared to do it though, right?"

"I do, thanks man."

"Alright, Coletti out."

"James?" Joy called from the other side of the line. "Are you okay?"

"Sorry, yeah. I'm here. So, what are you ladies doing after the show?"

"Wait, after the concert we're supposed to go out?" she panicked.

"It's a bachelorette party, Joy..." he chuckled.

"Fuck... I'll figure it out later. Let me know if you have any suggestions, though."

"I will. Have a good day, J."

"You too, J."

James hung up the phone, clearing his throat one more time. He couldn't believe he had reacted the way he did to her words. They weren't supposed to make him feel the way they did. He wasn't supposed to picture what it would be like hearing them in another context. What the hell was going on with him?

"Talking to Joy again, I see..." Stephen smirked, leaning against the doorframe.

"Friends usually talk to each other, right?" he tried to play it cool, checking on the lasagna.

"Sure... What's up with our lovely friend?"

"She's in charge of planning Sophia's bachelorette party and I suggested she'd buy tickets for a concert."

"Who's performing?" his friend inquired, coming closer to him, attracted by the smell of food.

"Paula Abdul, New..."

"Paula Abdul? Oh, dude, we've got to go!" Stephen hooted, slapping James' arm enthusiastically.

"Didn't know you were a fan..."

"Are you kidding me? The woman's a goddess. I used to have a poster of her on the bedroom ceiling over my bed. All the action she witnessed..."

"You mean the interaction between you and your hand?"

"Just purchase the goddamn tickets, Lafferty. We're going."

* * *

"Wear the shorts, Bethany Joy." Sophia gave her a stern look, holding up a pair of black high-waisted shorts. "It's my party, I define the dress code."

"I'm going to freeze my ass off." Joy argued, tightening the silk robe over her body.

"What are you talking about? It's June and we're in Los Angeles."

"Fine!" the singer sighed, taking the shorts from her friend's hand and putting them on.

The hotel suite was hectic: ten women running around getting ready for a certainly memorable night out, talking to each other while blasting Beyoncé's _Lemonade_. Sophia had been fixing her former co-star's hair, using a curling iron to create soft waves on her blonde locks and now the only thing left to decide was what the actress best-known for playing Haley James Scott would wear. Joy could protest all she wanted, but she knew she'd eventually give into Bush's wishes.

"Now, the black spaghetti strap top and the _pièce de résistance_... the exquisite golden blazer you bought but refuse to wear. You look hot, momma!" Sophia clapped her hands excitedly, taking off her own robe, a beautiful satin dress adorning her slender figure.

"Yeah, yeah, let's just get this over with…" Joy waved her off playfully, doing the same as everyone else and picking up a flute from the table to toast to the bride-to-be. "To Sophia Anna Bush, our favorite _Bridezilla_ …"

"Hey, watch it!" her friend cautioned.

"I hope you enjoy your last night of freedom, Ms. Bush…" the singer winked. "Cheers!"

The group of women raised their glasses and downed the sparkly champagne before heading out.

"Ready or not, here we come." she whispered, linking her arm with Sophia's.

* * *

"New Kids On The Block? Aw man, I thought we were going to see the Backstreet Boys!" Robert moaned, looking at the gigantic billboard outside the venue.

James chuckled to himself, adjusting his _Patagonia_ cap, before burying his hands in his pockets.

"My dear _Roberto_ , I only came here to see my wife. I couldn't give two shits if it's New Kids On The Block or the Backstreet Boys. It could be 98 Degrees, for all I care." Stephen bellowed, straightening out his _Forever Your_ _Girl_ t-shirt.

"Well, that's an extremely disrespectful way of referring yourself to one of the greatest boy bands to ever grace the Earth, pop royalty if you must say, but okay." Rob sneered, genuinely offended by his friend's comment.

"That's enough, you two." the raven-haired man intervened, placing himself between the pair. "Let's just get inside and make the most out of the ridiculous amount of money we paid for the VIP seats someone insisted we had to buy." he declared, glacing at Stephen, implying he was the one to blame.

"Best seats in the house, you're very welcome."

The trio went through security calmly, stopping a few times to take snaps with fans who had noticed their presence. Their seats did have the best view but James would never willingly admit that to his overly excited former co-worker.

Boyz II Men were the first to perform. Robert and Stephen theatrically sang along to _I'll Make Love To You_ , the last song on their setlist, facing James, who laughed loudly, covering his face with his hand in an attempt to diminish the secondhand embarrassment he was feeling.

He looked around, smiling at how much everyone seemed to be enjoying the show. Paula Abdul came on stage next, a shrilling sound next to him making him turn his attention back to his friends. Stephen jumped up and down, psyching himself up.

"Fuck, Coletti! You nearly made my eardrums pop out!" the actor scolded.

"Zip it, she's singing _Cold Hearted_!"

James sighed, asking himself why he had let them drag him to the Hollywood Bowl when he could have stayed at home, catching up on the NBA semifinals before the big final. He shifted on his feet, once again skimming through the arena, his eyes setting on a particular brunette who was coming his way.

"Well if it isn't the three stooges!" Sophia cheered, a bottle of _Moët_ on her hand and a dimpled grin on her perfectly made-up face.

She rushed to him, giving him a warm hug and moving to the pair on his side. He waved to the remaining women accompanying his former co-star, his smile dropping slightly when he noticed Joy wasn't with them. The raven-haired was too withdrawn in his thoughts to see she had approached the small group, holding a large container filled with popcorn.

"Hey, what did I m…James!"

He looked Joy up and down, his jaw nearly dropping at the sight of her outfit. The way the sparkly golden blazer subtly showed off her perky breasts and her shorts reminded him of the amazing pair of legs she had made his knees buckle. James didn't think she could look even better than last time he had seen her, but yet again he was proven wrong. Joy's beauty continued to render him speachless.

"H-hi!" the actor managed to stammer, leaning in for the usual kiss on the cheek, but being pulled in for a hug afterwards.

"What are you guys doing here?" the singer inquired.

"Dumb and dumber are huge fans, didn't you know?" he snickered.

She averted her eyes to his side, where Rob was chugging down the champagne Sophia had offered him, and Stephen sang and performed the choreography of the song as it reached its final chorus.

"Snake!" he shouted, moving in sync with Paula.

"Well, can't say that's the strangest thing I've seen tonight." Joy concluded.

"I'm guessing the _Möet_ isn't quite helping?"

"That and the ten jello shots they just _had_ to drink. It's like dealing with nine drunk toddlers." she snorted, seeing Rob and Sophia take turns at doing the robot dance, now to the sound of _Straight Up_. "Popcorn?"

"Thanks." he smiled, taking a handful of the sugary snack from the carton, watching the show their friends were putting on instead of the actual concert.

Sophia waddled her way to the pair, grabbing Joy by the waist, the bottle she earlier held no longer in her grasp.

"Joy! Joy! I just had a fantastic idea!" she chirped.

"Yeah?"

"They should totally come with us!" the brunette actress pointed to the trio in front of them.

"I think we've got enough madness going on already." the singer nodded towards their group.

"Please?" Sophia pouted, pleading eyes boring into Joy's.

Joy pinched the bridge of her nose, thinking about the potential havoc that would be wreaked if they decided to add the dynamic duo to the entourage. At least James would be there to help her handle them.

"Okay, they can come." she consented. "But you better not get too rowdy."

"You're the best!" her friend chanted, getting on the tip of her toes and smooching her friend's forehead.

"Oh boy..." the singer yelped, slapping her own forehead, earning an amused chuckle from James. "You think this is funny? It might be, but you do realise you're stuck with me tonight, don't you?"

"You're a sight for sore eyes, I think I can handle having you around for the night." he winked, suddenly amazed at how at ease he sounded.

She stuck her tongue out in response, gathering around the bachelorette party entourage, plus the three new additions, so they could leave the venue.

"It's not over yet!" Sophia moaned, as New Kids On The Block started song number three.

"We have a commitement in West Hollywood if I recall correctly, and we won't make it on time if we stay until the concert ends." Joy hinted, while leading her friend outside, to the rented party bus she had insisted it was a must-have.

James followed the pair, accompanied by Stephen and Robert, who couldn't wait to be on a bus with Sophia's better-than-good-looking pals.

The singer had given the driver their itinerary in advance, leaving the three men completely clueless about their destination.

Getting off the bus, the loud group of thirteen partygoers found themselves right in front of _Rage_ , a nightclub in West Hollywood.

"Shit, I love this place!" Stephen exclaimed, wrapping an arm around one of the women and going inside.

"Now we're talking!" Rob added.

James stood outside, incredulous. He couldn't actually believe the Universe had brought him to that place. And with Joy, of all people.

"Are you coming?" she came back outside with the sole purpose of getting him to come in. "You have to. You know I can't carry Rob and Stephen if it comes to it.

"I am a mere babysitter to you, hu?" he smirked, moving to the entrance.

"Well..." the actress joked, grabbing his hand and lacing her fingers with his swiftly. "Come on, we have seats right next to the stage."

It didn't take him long to notice how her hand fit perfectly in his, and how warm it had turned upon the touch of her skin. James happily let her guide him through the Friday night crowd until they reached their table.

"Get ready to be amazed." she shouted over the loud music, cheering as the performers walked by, one of them barely moving past them before turning on his heels and coming back.

"James!" Chad Michaels greeted, hugging him. "Guys!" he called out, making the rest of the performers stop and look their way. "James is back!"

"James, fun and games!" they all howled in unison.

James' cheeks flushed a deep shade of red as the entire entourage, except Robert and Stephen, looked at him with quizzical expressions on their faces.

"Hey, guys! Nice to be back!" he flashed a wide grin.

"We were starting to think you had ditched us for _Micky's_."

"I would never." he assured, patting the leading man in the back.

"Well, honey, aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?"

"Mmm, yeah. This is Joy. You know Stephen and Rob. We're on a bachelorette party, these are the ladies attending. And the bride-to-be..."

"Sophia Bush! I'm such a huge fan! Brooke Davis is my queen!" Chad jested, fanning himself.

"Thank you, love!" she said, lightly pecking his cheek.

"Loved to see you Jimmy, but the show must go on. Have fun!" the former _RuPaul's Drag Race_ contestant voiced, hurrying to get backstage.

Joy was still staring at James, utterly confused.

"I thought _Dreamgirls_ was on Mondays." he commented, sitting down at their table.

"Sophia called in a few favours." she answered quietly, still stunned, shaking her head to snap out of it. "Are you a regular?"

The raven-haired man took a deep breath, glaring at his friends for laughing at the singer's assumption.

"My brother and these two goofs held my thirtieth birthday party here. I had a bit too much to drink and invaded the stage." he explained.

"You didn't perform, did you?"

"Oh...yeah... Yes, I did. It was so good they made me an honorary member."

"It wasn't half as good as he thinks it was." Stephen smirked. "He was just too drunk to actually remember how it went down."

"I don't know what you're talking about. Chad said I was drag queen material." James replied.

"Yeah, keep telling yourself it wasn't out of pity for a drunk guy who interrupted his number."

"Anyway, ever since that fateful day we've been coming here for my birthday and other random celebrations and getting drunk with the queens after the show."

"You guys are the weirdest group of grown men I've ever met." Joy cackled. "And I don't mean it in a bad way!

The singer leaned her elbow on his shoulder, picturing James singing and dancing along to show tunes, eighty's songs and diva hits. It was a difficult idea to grasp, since he had always been so shy around her and she could only get him to let go of his inhibitions with a lot of persistence.

"I think it's pretty cool how you have fun without worrying about what people might say. I'm just letting you know you'll be up for karaoke with me the next time we go out." she stated. "And that I resent not being invited for your last two parties. They sound like they were epic." the singer joked.

"You're officially invited for my next one, then."

"Deal." Joy shook his hand, as the resident DJ announced Chad Michaels' entrance. "Oh my god, is that Cher?"

"He's good, isn't he?" James leaned back on his chair, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Fantastic!"

The renowned Cher impersonator danced around on stage, singing the first verses of _Believe_ before waltzing his way to their table, pointing at James.

"No, not tonight." he refused politely.

"Come on, show me what you've got! James, James, James!" the singer chanted, making everyone else do the same.

He held his hands up in the air in defeat, standing up and taking off his cap, handing it to Joy, who promptly set it over her slightly disheveled wavy hair, instantly hearing a round of applause. Robert stood up and whistled, clapping.

 _It's so sad that you're leaving, it takes time to believe it. But after all is said and done, you're going to be the lonely one, woah! Do you believe in life after love?_

Joy watched her TV-husband dance around on stage, proud of the man he had grown-up to be. He didn't make a move to deny the fun he had and the nights he had spent at a club where the patrons seemed to love him. He didn't try to belittle the performers in order to assert his own masculinity and wicked sense of superiority a lot of men had. Besides that, he looked extremely handsome. His t-shirt showed his huge biceps, the fabric clinging to his perfectly toned back and chest. Realising where her thoughts were headed, the singer forced herself to come back to reality, grinning and bobbing her head to the beat.

James noticed her cheerfulness, holding his hand out for her to climb on stage. She gladly took it, joining the two experienced performers, lip-syncing to the ninety's hit. He twirled her around, never loosening his grip on her small hand or losing the adorable smile on his face and she found herself giggling. She felt carefree and happy.

"I think I might let you keep my cap."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It looks better on you than it does on me anyway…"

She scrunched up her nose the way she always did when she was flustered, beaming at him adoringly as he spun her around one last time.

"You know, this is pretty amazing. You're pretty amazing." Joy confided.

 _There's no turning back, I need time to move on, I need love to feel strong._

"Joy, listen, I..."


	12. Better Living Through Chemistry

_**AN:** Hey! It's my birthday next week (on the 25th) so I probably won't update. Sorry! Anyway, hope you enJOY this chapter (and leave your awesome reviews as well - a nice birthday gift, hu?). Thank you for reading! Love, C x_

* * *

"I mean, who would've known some idiot would purposefully set off the sprinklers and get the club evacuated? I mean, it was a kick-ass bachelorette party nonetheless, but we were really enjoying the show." the bride-to-be chatted away on her phone while Jesse drove, humming along to a _KISS_ song and tapping his fingers softly on the steering wheel.

Joy sat in the back, her eyes wandering around the secluded community's landscape. Sophia's conversation made the blonde artist look down to her lap, where James' grey cap rested, taking her back to exactly a week before, when he had leaned in impossibly close to her face, starting to say something, only to be interrupted by the sound of a fire alarm. That had been bothering her for the past seven days. She was dying to know what he was going to say, but he didn't mention it again after that night, so she decided not to push it.

"We're here." Jesse announced giddily, parking and getting out of the car to fetch their bags.

The singer grinned at his excitement. She had always been fond of him and she was sure he was going to continue making Sophia happy.

The beauty of the wedding venue continued to astound her. Her friend had definitely found the perfect place.

"Joy, you go ahead and choose a room, I've got to deal with the event planner. Here's the key. Go hang up your maid of honor dress, missy! I trust you followed my instructions regarding said garment?" the actress raised her eyebrow, momentarily moving the phone away from her ear.

"Yes, _Bridezilla_ , don't worry about it. I got the memo." she chuckled, putting the _Patagonia_ baseball cap on, adjusting her ponytail and taking her luggage from Jesse.

The bride-to-be flipped her off in response, placing her mobile device back where it had been for days and heading down the pathway.

"I can take them for you!" Sophia's fiancé offered.

"Thank you, but go help your girl. Trust me, if you think she's stressed now, let the clock strike midnight." Joy winked, earning a nervous chuckle from Jesse. "Don't worry, it will all be worth it in the end."

The cabin was spacious, with wooden decks and several balconies. Its woodsy interior presented a rustic _décor_ , comfy furniture, fireplaces, a large kitchen and five bedrooms, as well as a game room. _The boys are going to lose it over this_ , she thought, snickering to herself as she ran her hand over the foosball table's handles.

Joy opened the door to the first bedroom she found, figuring out it was the one Sophia and Jesse were staying in and deciding to look for one for herself. The singer ended up choosing the secluded room with a queen-size bed: small, but cozy, it was just down the hall from every other room in the cabin and it would certainly give her the privacy she craved.

She quickly hung up her garment bag in the closet, storing there her vintage _Louis Vuitton Bandoulière_ as well, giving herself a tour around the property after in order to get a picture of roughly everything that caught her attention with the camera she had been inseparable of for years.

The blonde actress stepped outside, breathing in the fresh air, not being able to keep the smile on her lips from growing. She'd always liked the quiet and the calm, loving the peace and inspiration it provided her. Tying up her shoelaces, Joy followed the dirt road path that had brought them to their weekend accommodation, redoing their car trip in reverse so she could take pictures of the view she had fallen in love with.

Walking alone for about fifteen minutes, she found an entryway to a small hiding spot between the gigantic trees. The singer sat down, placing her hands on the ground next to her and looking up at the blue sky, way above the branches and the chirping of the birds that flew around the area.

The scent of pine trees invaded her nostrils, reminding her of the times she had gone camping throughout the years. With her parents when she was six, with her friends at seventeen and with the _One Tree Hill_ cast and crew back in two thousand and four. It was all so simple back then. The singer recalled how she couldn't set up a tent to save her life and James had done it for her, blushing furiously when she thanked him with a peck on the cheek. Thinking of his goofy grin as he finished his task made one appear on her face. He had always been so sweet. _Sweet baby James_. The thing is, he wasn't a baby anymore. Joy started to look at him differently as he grew up and mostly over the past few weeks. Her former co-star surprised her every day with his wit and sense of humor. Ever since the convention she felt like she could never get enough of him. Something new was brewing up in her heart and she dreaded to find out exactly what it was.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket, interrupting her little trip down memory lane.

"Hey!" the blonde beauty greeted her father.

"Hi! Did you get there safe?"

"Yeah, thank you. You and mom should come visit this sometime. It's gorgeous." she gushed, picking up a small daisy from the ground, spinning it around between her fingers. "Maria would definitely love it here."

"Speaking of our favorite little girl, she made me call you because she wants to tell you something. Apparently, it's urgent."

Joy knitted her brows together, wondering what it was, standing up and using her jeans to clean up her dirty hands.

"Hi mommy!" her daughter's sweet voice filled her ears, making her smile instantly.

"Hey sweet girl! Your grandfather tells me you have something very important and urgent to tell me. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I just wanted to tell you I saw a pretty butterfly in grandma's garden and it made me think of you!"

The actress's heart melted with her six-year-old's confession, not even thinking of scolding her for scaring her with the urgency of the call. She knew butterflies were one of Maria's favorite things in the world.

"Aw, sweetheart! Are you having fun at grandma's?"

"I am, grandpa let me stay up past my bedtime so we could watch one of my _Barbie_ movies together."

"He did? Hmm..."

"Don't get mad at him, mommy, I'm very persuasive." Maria stated matter-of-factly. "At least papa thinks so."

"I'm not mad at him, honey, but you need to go to bed early, okay? You have to stick to your bedtime so you can make the most out of your days. Promise me you won't use your charm on grandpa and grandma again…"

"I promise."

"Thank you. I'll call you later to say good night, alright?"

"Love you momma."

"I love you too, baby." Joy cooed, hanging up.

Checking the time on her phone, the singer decided it was for the best if she started to head back to the cabin. She should be around in case Sophia needed help with anything, knowing full-well how stressful weddings were.

Snapping a couple of pictures in her new favorite nook, the blonde woman glanced around one more time before stepping out of it. As soon as her foot touched the dirt road, she heard the tires of a car screeching and a black _Range Rover_ stopping right in front of her, making dirt and dust fly and settle all over her petite frame.

She groaned in frustration, cleaning up her face and shaking off the rest of the dirt, unsuccessfully for the most part.

James got out of the car and running to her, a worried look etched on his face.

"Are you okay?" the raven-haired man asked, frantically.

"I'm fine, I should've just looked before I tried walking down the road. This could've gone wrong."

"Thank god." he sighed in relief. "You scared the hell out of me. And the dogs."

"Oh right, you were the one in charge of getting Soph's dogs, I totally forgot about that. I should've brought Haas along as well."

"Your mom's probably pampering him right now, I think he'll forgive you."

"How do you..."

"Your mom is the only person you trust your dog with. I know you, Joy." he taunted.

"Too well, as it seems..." the woman laughed, gazing at his handsome features. God, she could probably get lost in his eyes.

The raven-haired man bit down on his lip, noticing the way she was looking at him, placing both of his hands in his back pockets.

"She comes into my mind, twisting through my nerves, I don't understand a word she says. She's on my side, I love her all the time…"

"What?" she muttered.

" _Sonic Youth_." the actor pointed to her t-shirt.

"Oh, right, yeah _. I love her all the time_." Joy chuckled, looking down at herself.

"Yep, one of my favorites. By the way, what are you doing by yourself in the middle of nowhere?"

"I came to explore." she held her camera up for him to see, wiggling her eyebrows.

"Okay, _Dora_." he laughed. "Come on, I'll give you a ride to the cabin."

"You know where it is?"

"No, but the _GPS_ does." James smirked, opening up the door for her.

"Wait! Get on top of the car."

"What for?"

"I want to take a photo of you. I think it's going to look great…Well, it will if you follow my instructions."

"Hu...okay?"

"Come on, it'll look great on your Instagram! If you don't post it, I'll have to. And you know it _will_ crash the internet."

He pretended to give it a little thought, eventually shrugging and doing as he was asked to.

"You have a point."

"I know." she boasted. "Outstretch your arms. Yeah, just like that. Perfect. Now sit down and pretend like you're going through your phone. That's it. Wait! For the big finale, let's do the classical selfie."

Joy joined him, placing herself between his legs and trying to get the camera as far away from their faces as she could, which was proven to be a tough task due to the fact that her arms weren't that long.

"Give it to me, _Thumbelina_. I'll take the _Naley_ picture."

"Oh we're not taking it as Haley and Nathan. It's James and Joy's time to shine." the singer reiterated.

She leaned back on his chest, smiling brightly, as usual, and he did the same, taking several photographs.

"Good job, James!" Joy jabbered, giving him a high five.

He got down, placing his hands on her hips to help her do the same.

"Nice cap." the actor smirked.

"I was told that it looks better on me than it did on its previous owner..." the blonde beauty claimed, enjoying the playful banter.

"It does." he agreed, putting the key on the ignition and starting the car as Joy fastened her seat belt.

* * *

"I've been a fan since you played..."

"John Winchester, I know." Jeffrey laughed, shaking Robert's hand.

"... William Gallagher on _PS: I love you_. Dude, that movie broke my heart."

Hilarie broke into hysterics at her partner's expression, hugging Rob.

"There, there." she mocked her friend. "Where's everybody?"

"The _it_ couple is out in the back with the wedding planner, who, by the way, is a solid ten. Stephen is in our room doing god knows what. Shantel got herself a really bad cold so she'll only get here on Sunday. James was supposed to be here by now with the dogs and I haven't seen Joy yet. Soph's friends will probably arrive in the morning. Where's your boy?"

"He's sat on the front steps reading."

"A _bookworm_. I like it!" Rob chirped, making the couple laugh. "Oh, I was supposed to tell you the bride saved you the room with two king-size beds."

"Thank you, Robbie! We'll check it out. Do you mind keeping an eye on Gus?"

"I'm on it!"

The blond man peeped at the little boy through the front window, observing him read at an impressive pace, considering he was only seven.

A car he recognized as his friend's pulled up and out came Joy, as well as Frankie, Penny and Griffin. James parked next to the other vehicles next to the cabin, joining Joy and the three joyous dogs, who ran around, ecstatic, enjoying the outdoors.

"Is that...?" the raven-haired man asked once he noticed the boy who was sat on the steps in front of them.

"Oh my god, it is!" Joy gasped. "Gus!"

Hilarie's son raised his head, closing his book and standing up to greet the pair.

"I haven't seen you in so long! Hi buddy!" she ran to hug him, holding him at arms length once she pulled back. "You've gotten so big!"

"You're Joy, right?" he asked.

"Yeah, honey. I used to work with your mom. She came to visit us on set once in a while and she used to bring you with her. You were the cutest little boy I had ever seen." the singer recalled. "What are you reading?" she nodded towards his book.

" _To Kill A Mockingbird_." the boy shrugged.

"It's one of my favorites." Joy gushed. "Who's your favorite character?"

"Atticus. He's really smart."

"Nice choice! Mine's Scout. She was one of the very first characters I played."

"Cool." Gus beamed, directing his attention to James. "You must be James." he assumed, reaching his hand out for James to shake.

"I am." the actor grinned, giving him a firm handshake. "And you are the baby that puked all over my favorite sweater."

"Oh that was pure gold." Joy snorted.

"Sorry about that." the seven-year-old gave him an apologetic smile.

"No grudges, little man." James assured, ruffling the little boy's brown hair.

"Well, I have to go change my pants because someone hit the brakes to hard and covered me in dirt and dust. I'll be back to discuss that book with you, alright? Keep James company for me, Gus. He's a liability to everyone when he's left alone."

James rolled his eyes playfully, leaning against the handrail.

"Okay, I will. Can I play with the dogs, though?"

"Go to town! They're the sweetest. See you in a bit."

Joy ran up to her room, emptying her pockets and scattering her belongings all over the bed. She took off her grey _Converse_ and her jeans, retrieving her bag from the closet and laying it on the floor, struggling with its zipper.

"Why did I pack so many things?" the actress mumbled to herself, huffing as she carefully looked through her garments in hopes to find the spare pair of pants she had packed.

"Ah-ha!" Joy chanted, holding a pair of _Levi's_ in her hands.

She leaned down, putting them on but struggling to pull them up, once they were so tight around the ankles.

"Fuck you, extremely skinny jeans!"

The door opened while she was cursing at the piece of fabric, her bottom still up in the air, and in came James, holding his own garment bag and baggage. His eyes set immediately on her round behind and the black lace boy shorts she was wearing.

"What are you waiting for? Leave your shit there and get your abnormally big ass downstairs. We've got a foosball tournament to win." Stephen commanded loudly from behind him.

Joy shrieked, being caught completely off-guard and stubbing her toes against one of the legs of the chair in front of the bed. The singer quickly finished dressing herself, wincing in pain, holding her finger up in the air to ask them to remain silent until she left the room, limping.

James stood at the door, his eyes wide and his throat dry.

"She's still got it." Stephen observed, licking his lips.

The raven-haired man glared at him, hanging up his suit and leaving his luggage by the room's entrance.

* * *

"Ice, ice, I need ice!" she called out, walking past Hilarie and Jeffrey, who were sat on the couch, in a hurry to try to ease the pain.

"Hello to you too, babe." Hilarie smirked, standing up to help her find the ice.

"I'm sorry." Joy stopped her quest to hug her friend. "Hey."

"Where is the little princess?" the curly-headed blonde asked, looking around.

"She wanted to stay with my parents, so I'm riding solo." the actress replied, opening the freezer and grabbing a bag of frozen peas.

"Aw, I really wanted to see her!" her friend pouted, wrapping the plastic package Joy handed her in a dishcloth and giving it back to her.

"I'm _facetiming_ her later, feel free to join us." she offered, watching her friend's eyes light up in excitement.

"I will! Is she as cute as I remember her to be?"

"I think she might be even cuter."

"Oh god, my heart can't take it." her former co-worker placed her hands over her chest, closing her eyes. She had always loved Maria.

Joy sat down on the kitchen floor, applying ice over her bruised toes.

"What happened to you?"

"Stubbed my toes against the leg of a chair. Pretty typical." she shrugged, used to her clumsiness.

"Ouch. That must've hurt like a bitch." Hilarie yelped, patting Joy's head.

"Mom, you said a swear word. You have to put a quarter in my swear jar. Sophia already gave me money three times… and three more in advance. She's really mad about the flowers the pretty lady forgot Jesse was alergic to." Gus said, walking in, not bothering to take his eyes off the page he was currently reading.

"Sorry, sweetie, let me check if I have some change in my wallet. Come on."

Mother and son left the kitchen almost at the same time as James got there. He cleared his throat, making the singer look up and smile.

"Sorry I ran out, I tend to curse loudly when I get hurt and I didn't want Gus to hear me." she explained.

The actor was stunned: once again, she didn't make a big deal out of something he know most people would probably freak out about. The fact that she was so comfortable around him made him happy. And, he did have to admit, her ass was something else. He hadn't had a good look at it in quite a while.

"Well, sorry I didn't knock first." he blurted out.

"It's fine." the blonde artist smiled, getting up. "It's my way of christening things, anyway." she joked.

"As much as I'd love to continue our chat, I came here not only to apologize, but also to invite you to come play foosball with us. We're short one person."

"What about Jeff?"

"He's playing… Rob, on the other hand, is quite focused on making a puzzle and won't budge until he finishes it. I'm afraid he might miss the wedding."

"How many pieces does it have? Three thousand?" Joy snickered.

"A hundred. But, to be fair, he's really bad at puzzles." James revealed, making Joy laugh loudly. "Will you join us?"

"Sure!"

The pair entered the game room, where Stephen and Jeffrey were waiting, already on different sides of the table.

"Hurry up, J-man, we've got to school these two on good ol'foosball." Stephen requested, impatiently. "You're with Jeff, Joyous. Don't feel bad when you lose. We're the all-time champions, after all." he bragged.

Joy raised her eyebrow, scoffing.

"Aren't we cocky?" she teased, joining her partner.

"Confident." her friend retorted.

"We're pretty good." James agreed, bumping fists with Stephen.

"You've obviously never played against me... You're going down. Right, JD?"

"She kicks ass at foosball, gentlemen." Jeffrey stated, as if it was a given.

"Is that so? I guess we'll have to make this interesting then…"

"What do you want, Coletti?" Joy huffed.

"The losers have to go skinny dipping in the lake at midnight." he rubbed his hands together, nudging James' side.

"Better get your floaties ready then, boys." the singer warned, getting a hearty laugh from Jeffrey.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Lenz." James smirked.

"Bring it on, Lafferty."


	13. Red Wine, Mistakes, Mythology

**_AN:_** Hi, I'm finally back with a new chapter! Sorry for keeping you waiting. I hope this makes up for it! Love, C.

* * *

"Hey Soph, how cold does it get here at night?" Stephen asked casually as he walked into the kitchen, where Sophia was aiding Jesse cook his famous meatloaf for dinner.

"It gets a bit chilly, but it's bearable. Or at least that's what I've been told." she shrugged, tasting the potato her fiancé was feeding her. "Mmm... This is amazing. You nailed it, babe." the actress cheered, getting a kiss in return for her compliment. "Why are you asking, Coletti?"

"Nothing." he cleared his throat, running his right hand through his left arm, already dreading the feel of cold water against his skin. "Just one last question: are there any potentially dangerous or deadly animals whose _habitat_ is this lake?"

"What kind of a question is that?" Sophia laughed, cleaning her hands on her apron, leaning against the counter, looking at him.

"I may or may have not lost at foosball and, as a result, Joy's making James and I swim naked in the lake tonight."

"That's..."

"Inhuman? Cruel? I think so too!"

"I was going to say fucking hilarious but yeah, whatever floats your boat."

"Great, thanks a lot." he rolled his eyes, heading to the living room.

"Not so fast, young man. You're in charge of setting the table." Sophia informed him.

"Do I have to?" Stephen whined, turning on his heels to enter the room again.

"Either you set the table or you'll be the only one not eating dessert."

"Fine." the actor grunted. "Where's...everything?"

* * *

"Do you need help with that?" Gus asked, sitting on the floor next to Rob.

"Nah, thanks, I'm good. I think I got it." the blond man replied, picking up another piece.

Gus took a glance at the puzzle that had yet to be completed. Its pieces were scattered messily around the mahogany coffee table. He knew Rob had no idea how to get it done.

"These two don't fit. You can't force them together if they don't match." the boy pointed out, picking up the two pieces he was talking about. "I don't mind helping you out, mom said I should take a break from reading to socialize and you look like you could use some company."

"Alright, kid. Show me what you've got." Rob conceded.

Hilarie's son immediately put together one of the corners of the picture, making a square. After that, he got the other three done as Robert looked on, baffled by the kid's ability to assemble the pieces at that speed.

"Okay, I suck at puzzles. Thanks, little dude." he high-fived Gus, who showed him his best toothless grin.

Joy observed their interaction, entertained by the facial expressions Robert was making while the seven-year-old instructed him as to where to fit the next piece. The singer averted her attention to James, on whose lap her feet were resting. The actor was watching the news on the television attentively, failing to notice how his former TV wife was shamelessly gawking at him ever since they had sat down, after Joy facetimed Maria with an overly excited Hilarie by her side. He had been growing out a beard and she liked how it looked on him. His jawline was as sharp as ever, making the raven-haired man look even more handsome. He certainly was a good-looking man, she couldn't lie.

"Dinner's ready!" Sophia chirped, making her way to the pair, who promptly stood up. "When you're done eye-fucking loverboy feel free to join us." she teased, whispering in Joy's ear, going back inside to get the food.

"Ha! I finished it!" Rob chanted, extremely proud of himself.

James and Joy looked at their friend with both stunned and amused looks on their faces.

"Of course I couldn't have done it without my side kick, this brainiac over here." he picked Gus up, throwing him over his shoulder. "We're going to wash our hands up for dinner."

Everyone gathered around the large dining table, randomly picking their seats. Joy was sat between Stephen and Gus, right in front of James, who had Jeffrey and Hilarie by his side. Robert was chatting enthusiastically about comic books as the seven-year-old next to him tried to keep up with the information overload that was coming his way.

"Here it is! Jesse Lee's world renowned meatloaf, with a side of potatoes." Sophia announced, setting the roaster on the table, as her fiancé followed closely behind, with a bottle of wine.

"Let's not forget the booze!" he joked, going around the table serving everyone.

Stephen and Rob held their cups up, ready to get their fill like every other adult sitting at the table.

"Mmm, no. You two get _Capri Suns_." Joy chuckled, switching their wine glasses for the laminated foil pouches.

The singer got up, taking the glasses to the kitchen, before tripping and instantly falling down, spreading shards of glass around the pavement.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!" she croaked, trying to gather the broken glass and ending up cutting her finger. "Ow!"

"You owe me a quarter!" Gus declared from his seat at the table, as a chair was dragged forcefully over the hardwood floor.

James hurried to come to her aid, placing Joy's hand under the faucet to clean the small gash on her skin. He wrapped her small finger on a clean dish towel, applying pressure over it.

"Let me see if I can find a band-aid." he asserted, looking for the kit he had seen Sophia store in one of the cabinets. "Okay, got it. Here. All better." the actor smiled, holding her bandaged finger in his hands and giving it a small kiss.

Suddenly, butterflies rose in Joy's stomach, making her pinks flush a deep shade of pink as his lips touched her skin. She removed her hand from his, chuckling nervously.

"Thanks baby J. Let me just clean this up and I'll join you guys in a minute."

"Bethany Joy, leave it as it is, we'll handle it after dinner, alright?" the bride-to-be yelled from the living room.

"You heard the boss." James winked. "After you."

Joy reluctantly headed back to her seat, mouthing _I'm sorry_ to Sophia for being the reason she was now losing her deposit, to which her friend replyed with a mocking eye-roll.

Dinner went by smoothly, with Robert and Stephen occasionally complaining about not getting to drink the vintage _Port_ Jeffrey had brought from his own personal cellar.

"This wine has put me into the mood, someone play me a song!" Sophia demanded, looking at Joy.

"You want me to sing acapella?"

"Of course not, we've got a piano over there. Jeff can play!"

"Jeff plays the piano?"

"And he's damn good at it, if you ask me." Hilarie smirked, nudging Jeffrey's side.

"I don't know, I'm pretty rusty..." the bearded man hesitated, rubbing the back of his head.

"Get your butt over there, Jeffrey Dean." Hilarie commanded. "You too, songbird." she motioned to Joy with her head.

Jeffrey and Joy got up and padded to the shiny musical instrument, with the wedding entourage in tow.

"Any requests?" the singer asked, propping herself up on the piano.

"Surprise us." Sophia shrugged, sipping on her glass of red wine.

"I've got a great one." Jeffrey announced, whispering something into Joy's ear. "What do you think?"

She smiled at his suggestion, nodding and repositioning herself on the lid so she was lying on her stomach, a small hand cupping her cheek.

Hilarie's husband started playing the melody of an old Carpenters song, to which the blonde beauty bobbed her head to slowly.

"Why do birds suddenly appear, every time you are near? Just like me, they long to be close to you..."

"Aw, dude, Joy recorded this song for a movie's soundtrack! I've got it set as my alarm clock tune." Rob slapped James' arm to get his attention.

"And you say I'm the one with a crush?"

"Well, you do have a crush, but who doesn't? She's a hell of a woman. We've all crushed hard on her at a certain point." his friend disclosed. "But, before you get your panties in a twist, it was never more than a crush. You, on the other hand, have feelings for her, and that, my friend, is being way beyond the point of no return."

"You're delusional, Earl." James rolled his eyes, his arms crossed over his chest as his icy blue eyes set on warm brown ones.

"On the day that you were born the angels got together and decided to create a dream come true." she sang softly, smiling at the eye contact that was bound to exist.

James continued staring at her in awe. Her unwavering talent had him whipped. He simply couldn't take his eyes off of her, swallowing hard when he realised how beautiful she was looking. Only Joy could make lying down on top of a piano the sexiest thing he had ever seen.

"So, they sprinkled moon dust in your hair of gold..." The singer slid off the lid, ruffling through Robert's blond hair. "And star-light in your eyes of blue." she moved on to James, lightly grazing her fingertips on his face, not ever breaking eye contact.

Joy felt a jolt of energy rushing through her body, as did the raven-haired man. For a moment, everything stopped. They were the only people in the room.

"Alright, beautiful!" Stephen clapped loudly. "Sorry Joyous, you know I love you, but there's going to be plenty of sappy love songs at the wedding and, as a single dude, I can only have my share of those before I start bawling." he explained, not getting a response from the pair.

"Stephen, you fucker." Sophia rolled her eyes, picking up the wine bottle and pouring herself a bit more.

"Hey! That's another quarter!" Gus protested.

"Okay, honey, it's time to go to bed." Hilarie took that as her cue to speak up, looking at her son.

"It's only half past ten, mom." the seven-year-old pouted.

"We've had a long day, buddy... Didn't the flight wear you out?"

The boy shook his head.

"Well, it wore us out. We're hitting the sack. Come on, Augustus." Jeffrey dictated, leading his wife and son to their shared bedroom. "Good night everyone."

* * *

After cleaning up the mess in the kitchen and doing the dishes, the small group headed outside, gathering around the large firepit in the back deck.

Sophia laid back against Jesse's chest on a sunbed, beside Robert and Stephen, who were sat on the remaining two chairs. James and Joy were sitting on the wooden pavement, looking at the fire silently as the rest of the entourage chatted away excitedly about Saturday. They were planning to spend it relaxing and exploring the beautiful community before the big day arrived.

From time to time, the TV couple would glance at each other, small smiles etching on their faces as they divided their attention between the ardent sparks of the flames, the shining stars and their friends' conversation.

The clock struck midnight and they hadn't even noticed the time flying by. Hadn't it been for Stephen's alarm clock, they would've never guessed what time it was.

Stephen raised from his comfortable seat, stripping off his shirt and neatly folding it.

"What are you doing?" Sophia raised an eyebrow as the actor tried to take off his sneakers.

"Skinny dipping at midnight, remember?"

"I had completely forgotten about that!" Joy crowed, slapping her own forehead.

"Does this mean we don't have to do it?" Stephen asked with a hopeful glint in his eyes, getting his jeans back up.

"Oh no, sweetheart, you still have to do it. A deal is a deal, right?"

"Why do I keep underestimating you, woman?" he grumbled, stomping his feet on the ground after having to get his pants down once again.

"I've been asking myself that same question." she winked, patting his back as he went down the pathway to the lake in only his briefs, holding the rest of his outfit in his arms. "You too, Lafferty."

James sighed and got up as well, taking off his sweatshirt and t-shirt to reveal his chiseled torso, throwing them over his shoulder.

"I'm getting them some towels, the temperature is going to stoop lower in the next hour." Jesse informed the two women, squeezing Sophia's hand before leaving their side.

"Do we wake up Robbie?" Joy asked, looking at her friend's sleeping figure in the chair a few feet away from them.

"No, leave him be. You know how grumpy he gets when we wake him up." the _Chicago P.D_ actress, reasoned, giving her a pointed look.

The two actresses waited a couple of minutes before going down to the lake, hoping their friends would already be in the water when they got there.

Sure enough, James was already fully wet, his hair clinging to his forehead before he swept it to the side in one quick motion. Stephen, on the other hand, was still psyching himself up to go in.

Joy was the first to break into a fit of laughter, noticing her friend had a small tattoo in one of his butt cheeks.

The actor turned around at the sound of giggles, shrieking loudly when he came to te realization that be was being watched, giving the two ladies a full-frontal view of his genitals.

"Oh god, Stephen, turn around, no one wants to see that!" Sophia screeched, covering up her eyes while Joy grabbed onto her stomach, that was aching from laughing so hard.

"Go on, Coletti, we're waiting." the blonde beauty urged, crossing her arms over her chest after she recomposed herself.

James was seeing the whole thing pan out from the water, not being able to a straight face when Stephen made a run for it and finally decided to dive, only to come up screaming in agony.

"Fuck, it's so cold! Okay, we've done our share, let's get out of here."

"Do you need me to get your floaties?" Joy teased from the shore.

"We're fine. If it comes to it, I'll use Stephen as my buoy." James jokingly waved her off, going underwater once more.

"That's enough, you can come out now." the singer directed, seeing Jesse arrive with the towels. "Let's hope next time you try to make a bet, you're aware of who you're up against." she smirked, turning her back to the three men and making her way to the deck with the bride-to-be. "Where's Rob?" she wondered, glancing around the large terrace, not being able to spot the blond man.

"He probably woke up, saw we left him alone and ran inside. You know how paranoid he is about nocturnal animals, even though I already explained him there's only a one percent chance he'll be attacked by a night owl." Sophia theorized.

James, Stephen and Jesse were quick to join them, the two swimmers now fully-clothed. The quintet sat by the fire, warming up on a particularly cold summer night.

"This has been extremely fun, but I've been up since five in the morning and I seriously need to catch up on the wasted sleeping hours." Sophia informed them, a yawn escaping her lips as she turned to face her fiancé. "You're coming, babe?"

"Yeah. See you in the morning, guys." the blue-eyed man agreed, giving them a half salute.

Stephen eventually went inside as well, after complaining for an hour about how he was going to get pneumonia and how Joy would end up having to visit his grave, forever regretting having forced him to swim in such terrible climatic conditions.

Joy and James were the only ones left on the deck, looking up at the shimmering stars, most of them unknown to the pair due to the fact they were usually concealed by the overwhelmingly bright city lights back home.

"I had forgotten how beautiful the night sky is." Joy half-whispered, hugging her knees.

"My mom says we don't stop and look at the sky as often as we should and that's why we roam around without any sense of direction and waste time looking for things that have been right in front of us the whole time." James recited, tapping his fingertips on his chest.

"Angie's a wise woman."

"Yeah, she gets all spiritual at family dinners."

The singer snorted at his reply, reaching out to punch his arm.

"You know, I spent a week or so in Fort Apache a lifetime ago and I met this wonderful woman named Cora, who was ninety-nine back then. She had the most amazing stories to tell and she spoke with so much joy I could swear her eyes shined as bright as these stars."

She paused, glancing at James, who was still hanging on every word she said.

"Cora told me how the Native-American explain the origin of the night sky. You see, back when the sky was completely dark there was a chief with two sons: a younger son, _One Who Walks All Over the Sky,_ and an older son, _Walking About Early_. The younger son was sad to see the sky always so dark so he made a mask out of wood and pitch and lit it on fire, originating the Sun. He travelled across the sky each and every day, sleeping below the horizon at night. When he snored, sparks flew from his mask and created the stars." Joy remembered, pointing at the enormous cluster of stars above them. "The older brother became jealous so, in order to impress their father, he smeared fat and charcoal on his face making his own path across the sky, becoming the Moon."

"You still know that by heart?" James inquired, intrigued by his long-time friend's knowledge of the Native-American culture.

"I carry Cora and every person I met during my time at Fort Apache in my heart everywhere I go. They taught me how to be thankful and appreciate every little thing I've been given. Every single moment of our lives is a gift. This. Here and now. Looking at the stars with you, a day away from the wedding of a friend that had given up on long-term commitments. This gives me hope for a better future. It's worth all the heartache and the pain, because I know sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together."

A chill ran through the singer's body, warning her about her decreasing body temperature. She shook it off, stroking her arms with her hands and internally beating herself up for not bringing a jacket when she came outside, but not wanting to ruin the quiet moment between the two of them by going inside.

"Are you cold?" the raven-haired man asked, touching her arm. "Jesus, Joy, you've got goosebumps all over your skin. Take my sweatshirt."

"Then you'll be cold. I feel like we've had this conversation before." she reasoned, as he took the garment off for the second time that night.

"Please, I was born in the summer, I'm hot-blooded. And yeah, we have. Wilmington, North Carolina. Nearly a month ago." he chuckled, handing her his favorite grey hoodie.

Joy rolled her eyes, reluctantly putting it on.

"Are you warm yet?"

"Weirdly enough, no." she sighed, rubbing her hands together.

"Okay, here." he said, positioning himself behind Joy and wrapping his strong arms around her. "Better now?"

The blonde actress blushed furiously, being thankful he couldn't see the deep crimson colour staining her cheeks. She thought about fidgeting in his embrace so he would let go of her and they wouldn't have to be so close to each other but, instead of doing that, Joy let herself sink further into his chest.

"Yes." the singer murmured. "Thank you."

He simply smiled in response, taking in everything that was rushing through his mind in a comfortable silence.

"Do you know why Alex and I broke up?" he blurted out after a couple of minutes, catching her by surprise.

"Mmm, I don't think so."

"She wanted me to propose."

Joy looked back at James, her big brown eyes urging him to continue speaking.

"Alex gave me an ultimatum because she was tired of waiting for me to make any kind of decisions regarding our relationship and I told her I couldn't marry her."

"Why?a"

"Because, even though I loved her, we were pieces that didn't fit. And, as I've learned, if the pieces don't fit, you can't force them together. It will only lead to resentment and self-loathe and I don't want her to ever have to go through that."

The singer blinked twice, not believing what she had just heard. She never thought she'd see this side of James. In fact, she didn't even know it existed. Sure, he had opened up to her back in Wilmington, but he hadn't revealed how much of a selfless, loving man he was. It warmed her heart knowing James was such a kind human being who was genuinely concerned about doing the right thing.

"Wow... James..."

"I told you I didn't feel heartbroken, and I don't, but I do feel guilty at times. Have I made a mistake? Was that cowardly of me, to run away from her and our relationship?"

"You didn't run away from her or your relationship. You just knew that it was for the best. I worried for months on end after my marriage ended that I had made a mistake, I was so scared. Then it hit me: we weren't good together and we certainly weren't built to last and we couldn't drag it out just because our vows included «till death do us part». You're supposed to live life at its fullest, love deeply and be happy. I mean, if you're not happy, what's the point?"

James averted his eyes to the dark sky once again, thinking about Joy's words. Her inebriating scent invaded his senses, the feel of her hand on his arm making him come to the conclusion he was right were he wanted to be. The pieces finally fit.

Joy got up quietly, picking up a few small logs from the basket near the firepit and reviving the fire that had almost gone out.

"One day I'll get myself a red _'57 Chevrolet_ pickup and I'm going to drive through California with it." she said in order to change the subject, showing him her mesmerizing smile when she sat next to him.

"Why that car specifically?" the raven-haired man inquired, lying on his back.

"I don't know, I've always wanted one. I guess it's just my own version of the American dream: a vintage car, my little girl and an adventure." the blonde beauty mimicked his movements, resting her body beside his.

"Damn it, that's so much better than mine. Now I want a roadtrip." he wailed.

"Maybe someday we'll finally get to do what we really want to do."

James gazed at Joy adoringly, watching as she struggled to keep her eyes open.

"Someday can't get here quick enough."


	14. Speak Now Or Forever Hold Your Peace

_**AN:**_ I am so sorry I took so long to update but my life's been pretty hectic and I've also had a pretty awful throat infection so it hasn't been easy to come up with the time to write. This one's the longest chapter I've ever written. Hope you enjoy it. PLEASE do give me your feedback, it means the world to me. Happy Valentine's Day! All the love, C. x

* * *

"Morning, Jim."

James rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, opening them up to find Robert perched over his body along with three drooling dogs, grinning like a fool.

"Jesus, Rob. What the hell?" he sat up, being careful not to wake a sleeping Joy beside him and not to startle Sophia's pets.

"Sleeping outside with all these predators on the loose? Edgy, I like it."

"Shh, keep it down." the raven-haired man scolded, getting up and leading his friend inside.

"What did you guys do last night? Stayed up talking, dancing, professing your hardcore crushes on each other? Was it romantic? Six feet under the stars and all that?" the blond actor conjectured, chasing James around the kitchen.

"We talked. Period." he enlightened his blond friend, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Why are the dogs out back?"

"Soph asked me to take them out for a walk in the woods, I came back through the deck and I saw you two all cuddled up so _we_ decided to say hi."

James glanced at the clock on the wall, putting the coffee pot in the stove. It was about to strike a quarter to seven.

"Do you have any idea how early it is?"

"Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise." the blond man recited, clearly proud of himself.

"Why am I friends with you again?"

"Haha, very funny. You were pratically on top of Joy when we got to you, so you should thank me for keeping you from crushing her with your large mammal physique." Rob joked, taking a bite from an apple.

"I was not."

"You were." Stephen confirmed, walking into the kitchen.

"How do you know?"

"Rob dragged me out of bed to help him with the dogs." his friend quipped, slapping Robert in the back of the head.

"Ow! Stephen, it's about time you lose your fear of dogs."

"You should talk, you're afraid of owls."

"I'm afraid of nocturnal animals, because they're extremely shady." Robert countered, "Dogs are loving and harmless."

"Whatever, dude, I just came along because you promised to make me pancakes after." Stephen noted, sitting in a stool, waiting for the food.

"Okay, _Tweedle Dee_ and _Tweedle Dum_ , but would've it killed you to let me sleep a couple more minutes?" James groaned, pouring the coffee into two mugs.

"Yeah, you were starting to snore pretty loudly." Rob shrugged, taking a frying pan from the cabinet.

"I don't snore."

"Of course you don't, and we didn't take pictures of you two cuddled up."

"I'm going to pretend you two aren't closeted stalkers." James avowed, picking up the mugs filled with the steaming hot beverage and heading outside.

The three dogs Sophia had adopted were laying around the singer's sleeping figure. Griffin rested so close to her face his drool was dripping onto her nose, making the actor smile goofily as he sat down beside them. Setting his mug next to his legs, James gently nudged his TV wife's shoulder.

"Hey..."

The blonde actress mumbled something incoherently, slapping his hand away.

"Joy..." he chuckled, nudging her again. "I came bearing coffee."

The singer opened one eye, wincing at the brightness of the daylight, but smiling sweetly once she saw the yellow mug he was handing her. Stretching slowly, she crossed her legs, taking the hot beverage from his hands.

"My knight in shining armor. You're always one step ahead." she winked, waiting for the coffee to cool down before taking a sip.

"One of my many qualities." James shrugged, showing her a crooked grin.

"We can cross modesty off that list." the singer teased, smirking.

The raven-haired man feigned hurt, placing his hand over his heart.

"I'll have you know I am a very humble man."

"Mmm, definitely..." Joy laughed.

"Don't mock me when you've got dog drool all over your nose." he snickered.

The blonde beauty's smile dropped and she quickly cleaned herself up with the long sleeves of his sweatshirt.

"Oh my god, Haas never did that to me! Mostly because he's the size of a small stuffed animal but either way..." she paused. "Mmm... Yeah... I can definitely smell it now. Wow, it stinks."

"It probably doesn't smell that bad." he dismissed, laughing.

"Yes, it definitely does. Come here and smell for yourself." Joy urged, pulling him by his t-shirt.

"Okay." James sighed, leaning in closer to his friend.

The tip of his nose touched hers and they both took a shaky breath as the space between them became non-existent. James closed his eyes, inhaling the scent of Griffin's drool. His face twisted in disgust under Joy's intense gaze.

"You were right." he stated, only moving a few inches away from her face so he was now looking directly into her eyes.

"Told you." she spoke quietly, lost in the icy blue eyes of the man she had spent nine years of her life working with.

"You two are so weird." Stephen grumbled from the sliding door.

James jumped back, almost spilling the remaining coffee on his mug all over his lap, which seemed to amuse Joy, once she had to bite her lip to keep herself from laughing.

"What have I told you about sneaking up on people?"

"Robbie's the one who usually sneaks up on people so... I don't know." their friend raised his hands up in defense.

"What's up, Coletti?" the raven-haired man sighed.

"Found a beat-up ball in the pantry, there's an old hoop out in the front. Earl went to wake Jeff up a couple of minutes ago. Are you in?"

"What is it with you and waking up people who are sleeping in peace?"

"Early rise makes a man wise or whatever. We didn't want to go into Sophia's room to get Jesse because they're young and in love and probably doing it." he rambled, switching the ball from his right hand to his left and vice-versa.

"I highly doubt there's anyone in the world that willingly gets up at..." Joy got her phone from her back pocket to check the time. "... seven in the morning to do that but sure..." she conceded, taking the yellow mug to her lips.

" _Bridezilla_ 's so freaked out about the wedding she gets up extra early to get everything done on time, even though she technically doesn't need to move one finger. She definitely schedules time for sex and what better way to start a day than by doing the dirty?"

"You need to get laid, dude." the singer pointed out, lifting herself off the ground and meeting her friend by the door. "I'm smelling Rob's pancakes."

"Yeah, he made a batch. They're in the kitchen. I'd hurry up if I were you." Stephen advised, ignoring her comment about his celibacy. "James, get your fat ass to the front in five. Don't forget to bring your trunks."

The raven-haired man went inside, finding Joy and Robert attempting to make a _Mickey Mouse_ pancake. He leaned against the doorframe, observing the way her whole body seemed to vibrate when she laughed at their friend's dad jokes, a stray strand of hair falling over her hypnotizing brown eyes, only to be tucked in behind her small ears.

Rob eventually acknowledged his presence, cleaning his hands on Sophia's _Italian Squad_ apron.

"J-man! Do you want some? These are Joy's so I think they won't taste as awesome as mine do." he boasted, flinching when she promptly elbowed his side. "But you can give them a try."

"Thanks, but I should go get dressed or Stephen will probably bite my head off. Where's Jeff?"

"He should be down in a minute, Hil told me he usually needs five to ten minutes to stop acting all grouchy before getting up."

He nodded curtly, taking one last glance at his long-time crush, but failing to do as he was supposed to and leave. The singer licked the wooden spoon Robert had used to mix the batter absentmindedly, moaning at the delicious taste of chocolate chip pancakes, only noticing James was staring at her when she looked up.

"What?" Joy asked, smiling. "Do I have something on my face again? Oh, shoot, I've still got your sweatshirt on!" she gasped all of a sudden, taking it off, exposing her midriff and part of her lace bra in the process. "Thank you. I should really go wash my face. Pancake mix and dog drool are not a good combination."

The singer walked past James, who was still trying to keep his brain from retaining the memory of Joy's sexy underwear. How could she make his stomach churn just by showing a little bit of skin and fabric?

"Nice." the blond man extolled, wiggling his eyebrows.

James sent him a pointed look, turning on his heels and heading to his room, the one he hadn't spend more than two minutes in so far. Putting on his trunks and the trusty old basketball shorts he brought everywhere "just in case", placing his bag back in the spacey closet, he fled the room, already dreading getting told off by his friend for being late.

"What the fuck, Lafferty? I thought being on time was a part of having manners." Stephen grunted, throwing him the ball.

"Yeah, okay, I'm like two minutes late, Coletti. I was busy." he explained, shooting and scoring a three-pointer.

"Yeah, getting a boner from watching BJ lick a wooden spoon." Rob snickered, coming up from behind them. "Nice shot!"

"Don't call her that..." the raven-haired man muttered, passing the ball to Jeffrey, who still looked like he was half-asleep.

"Her name is Bethany Joy. BJ's an adequate nickname!" his TV business partner reasoned.

"It would be if it didn't have a sexual connotation attached to it, _Roberto_."

"Bite me, _Steph_. I never even thought about that."

James sighed loudly, shaking his head as he waited for his friends to stop arguing and play.

"Alright, gentlemen, are you going to act like a couple of unreasonable toddlers all morning or are we going to play? Because if we aren't I'm happy to go back to bed." Jeffrey snapped, asserting his dominance by showing them his most menacing glare.

"N-no, sir. We're here to play." Stephen stuttered.

"Definitely, yeah, we're in." Robert confirmed, running a lap around the improvised court.

"That's what I like to hear."

* * *

"Joy, babe, are you ready?" Sophia called out from the other side of the door.

The singer woke up to the sound of her friend's voice, nearly jumping out of her skin. She definitely couldn't handle all-nighters like she did in her twenties. The minute she got to her room, three hours before, she had fallen asleep, her phone still resting between her fingers from texting Michael to check up on Maria.

"Mm... I'll be right there." the blonde beauty mumbled, making herself barely audible.

The door flew open, revealing Sophia in a short white sundress and a straw hat.

"You're in last night's clothes!"

"I am."

"You two will be the death of me." Sophia exaggerated, grabbing both of Joy's hands and pulling her up. "Get your swimwear on _pronto_ , I only have a couple of hours before the wedding planner gets here and starts testing my patience, so hurry. Oh, and I left some beach towels on a shelf down the hall. I figured you guys would somehow manage to forget to bring those."

"Aye, aye, captain." the singer muttered, opening the closet to find a bag that wasn't hers.

 _Sophia probably ran out of storage space and shoved this in here_ , she thought to herself, picking up her _Louis Vuitton_ and rummaging through it to locate the swimsuit she had luckily decided to pack.

It didn't take long for her to join her friends downstairs. Little Gus was tapping his foot impatiently by the door, all geared up with floaties, a fisherman hat, tiny sunglasses and several coats of sunscreen on.

"Come on, Joy! Mom said I can only go swimming when you're in the water." he whimpered, tugging at her hand.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming." Joy chuckled, pratically being dragged out of the cabin by the seven-year-old.

Hilarie locked arms with Sophia, smirking when she saw the four men gathered around the made-up basketball court, sweating and apparently out of breath.

"You guys have to admit it: you're getting old!" she teased, blowing her husband a kiss.

"As if." Stephen scoffed. "I could go on for days!"

"Actually..." Jeffrey stopped his movements, passing him the ball. "I'm going to freshen up. Good game, gentlemen." he high-fived his team member and made his way to his wife.

"But..."

" _Steph_ , we've been playing for two hours, and you didn't even let us stop to get water, you little dictator." Robert reasoned. "I promised Gus I'd teach him how to do a headstand underwater yesterday so..." he informed them, following Jeff.

"Stop calling me _Steph_!" the olive-skinned actor shouted, placing his hands on his hips and looking back at James.

"You want to join them, don't you?"

"I'm all sweaty and the sun's burning like mad, man. I'm only human." James complained, cleaning his forehead with his soaked t-shirt.

"Fine." he snapped. "Go ahead. If anyone asks, Rob and I won."

"Of course, buddy."

Joy set her towel next to Gus', undressing herself in a hurry as the little boy continued to emphasize the urgency he had to dive into the lake's cool water, taking off his prescription sunglasses and the hat his mom had made him wear.

"Gus, stop bugging Joy. She's already being kind enough to dare going in with you." Jeffrey reprimanded, sitting between Hilarie's legs while she applied sunscreen on his back.

"It's fine, don't worry about it. You should see Maria at the beach." the singer joked, securing her dirty-blonde hair in a ponytail. "Let's go, Augustus. Show me what you've got." she held her hand out for the seven-year-old to grasp.

"Hey, have I been replaced already?" Robert gasped, taking his _Batman_ tee off and running to the pond, making a huge splash around the pair as he delved into it.

The blonde actress resisted the urge to scream when the freezing water touched her upper body.

"I'm going to kill you." she threatened her friend through gritted teeth.

"We need to take the plunge now, Joy! It's now or never!" Gus yowled, excitedly.

She looked down at Hilarie's son, tightening her grip on his small hand.

"Only if you don't let go." the singer requested, showing him a goofy smile.

"I promise."

James came down the pathway precisely when the pair arrised, releasing small shrieks. He noticed how the striped black and white swimsuit his former co-worker was wearing hugged her curves perfectly, showing off the amazing body that she sported, at the ripe age of thirty-six. It also displayed the singer's perky chest in a wonderful manner, not showing a lot of skin, but just enough to make the actor's breath hitch in his throat.

"Christ, James, what the hell are you doing standing there like a spare prick at a wedding?" Stephen came up from behind him, slinging a towel over his shoulder. "Seriously? Watching her swim from afar? Dude, seriously, this is starting to get creepy. I know you already came to the conclusion you like her and all that, why don't you do something about it?"

"It's not that linear."

"Of course it's not linear, it's like a fucking rollercoaster, but you either go on it or you'll probably spend the rest of your life asking yourself why you were such a wuss when you were thirty-two."

"I'm still thirty-one, you know…"

"Your birthday's in a month or so, get over it. Now, try to act normal, you dork."

Robert picked Gus up, throwing him into the water as Joy floated on her back nearby, taking in the peace the nature brought her, smiling softly with her eyes closed. All of a sudden, she felt herself being lifted, instinctively grabbing onto whoever was holding her's neck.

"Joyous, let's play a game!"

"Put me down, Coletti." the blonde beauty warned playfully, slapping his chest.

"Whatever you want." Stephen shrugged, dropping her. "As I was saying…" he continued, when Joy came up, with a scowl on her face. "Do you want to play the best water game ever invented?"

Her expression softened when she saw the raven-haired man entering the lake slowly, trying to adapt to its cold temperature. He approached them, goosebumps all over his skin and a sisyphean smile on his handsome face. Seeing him topless wasn't new to the singer, but she couldn't help but bite down on her bottom lip when she glanced at his muscular arms and broad shoulders.

"What's up?" James asked, jumping up and down to generate some heat.

"Stephen wants to play a water game." Joy explained, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Not _a_ water game, _the_ water game." their friend reiterated.

"Spill it." she sighed.

"I want to have a chicken fight!"

"Oh, can I play?" Gus chirped, dog paddling to them, his _Nemo_ floaties keeping him afloat.

"Sure, little man. You know what, you can even be my partner." James smiled, stooping down to his level to help the seven-year-old get on his shoulders.

Joy looked on, charmed by James' laid-back approach when dealing with children. It was amazing how he'd always find ways to surprise her. Those were the little things that made her heart beat slightly faster.

"That means you're with me, hu?" Stephen nudged her sides, rubbing his hands together.

"Are you really going to make me fight a little boy?"

"Of course, kids are sneaky and shouldn't ever be underestimated." he replied.

"It's not _that_ bad if I take into consideration your mental age is five." the singer agreed consdescendingly, patting the top of his head.

"That's right… hey!"

"I'm still not fighting a seven-year-old, Stephen."

"Whatever…" her friend groaned. "Anyone wants to take Joyous' place?"

"Augustus!" Hilarie called from the shore. "Time for a snack break!"

" _But mom_ , James and I were going to win at chick fighting!"

"I know, sweetie, but I brought your favorite cookies. What do you say?"

Gus gave James an apologetic look.

"Sorry…"

"No need to apologize, buddy. Cookies are a priority." James winked, crouching to let him climb off his shoulders. "Race you to your mom?"

"Yeah!"

"Ready? Three, two, one… Go!"

The pair swam to the waterfront, the raven-haired man slowing his pace down so Hilarie's son could win. Gus made it to his parents as James was just getting out of the water.

"I won!" the boy cheered.

"You're a force to be reckoned with, little man. Well done!" he high-fived his youngest friend, sitting down next to him. "Can I still have a consolation cookie?"

The singer couldn't stop grinning at how sweet the scene was.

"He's a genuinely great guy, isn't he?" she mumbled.

"One of the greatest out there…" Stephen confirmed, a knowing smile on his face. "Get your Kardashian-quality ass over here, Lafferty! The chicken fight is still happening!" he crowed.

The actor rose to his feet, saluting Gus and heading back to the water, meeting the trio who was waiting for him.

"Alright, it's _Dumb_ and _Dumber_ against the _JLs_." Joy declared, standing on the tip of her toes, pushing James' shoulders down.

"The _JLs_?" he inquired, squating to let her climb onto his toned shoulders.

"Yeah, apparently that's what everyone calls us on the internet." she chuckled, trying to find a comfortable position. "Joy Lenz and James Lafferty."

"That's what that means?"

"What did you think it meant?"

"I…"

"Are we doing this or not? Rob has really let himself go." Stephen nagged, clearly having a hard time carrying his friend.

"I have not. It's water weight!" Robert protested.

James hesitantly held onto her wet shins, feeling her smooth skin under the touch of his hands. She was light, which worried him because Rob could probably take her down in an instant.

"You ready, sweetheart?" the olive-skinned man asked, with a cocky smile plastered on his face.

"You guys are going down." Joy replied confidently, grinning down at her partner in crime.

If someone had told James a month before that he'd have his head between Joy's legs at a weekend-long wedding he'd laugh and vouch that person had gone crazy. Never in his wildest dreams had he thought about the possibility of seeing his former co-worker so often in such a short amount of time, not to mention becoming even closer to her and have her feel comfortable enough to be in such a usually uncomfortable position with him.

Stephen lunged forward, as Robert outstretched his arms to get a hold of Joy. The singer laughed loudly when he came close enough to attack her sides with tickles, almost losing her balance, hadn't James held on to her for dear life.

The actor could've heard her laugh until the end of time. How could he have become so infatuated so fast? It had to be this strange hold she had on him, on everyone. Joy was the kind of person anyone would be lucky to fall in love with. He couldn't help but think he was slowly, but surely, falling for her.

Her giggles brought him back to reality, smiling at the adorable sound coming out of her mouth.

"Push him, Lafferty!" Joy begged, out of breath.

"Say no more."

The raven-haired man let go of her right leg, using merely one hand to shove Stephen's chest and make him forfeit the last ounce of strength he had to keep Robert on his shoulders. The dynamic duo went down with a loud splash.

"Yes!" the blonde actress chanted, pumping her fist in the air. "Good job, James!"

Without really putting any thought into it, she leaned down, tilting his chin up with her dainty hands and kissing his forehead, hearing someone hooting from the land.

Being left speechless by her unexpected sweet gesture, he dropped down to his knees, letting Joy get back on her feet.

"We're still the dream team!" she boasted, heading back to her towel.

James didn't say anything, only smiling back at her with a grin that could make any woman swoon. She wasn't any woman, but she bit hard on her bottom lip nonetheless. The singer could try to deny the immense attraction she felt towards her TV husband but her efforts would be proven to be ineffective undoubtedly.

"I'm going to get something to drink. Anyone want anything?" the actor inquired, glancing around for any takers.

"Water, please!" Sophia requested, typing something on her phone.

"Got it."

He quickly paced to the cabin, jogging to the fridge to retrieve a couple of water bottles, realising he wasn't alone.

"Hey bud." Jeffrey greeted, cutting a tomato into tiny pieces on an old chopping block. "Couldn't you have dried up a bit before coming in here?"

"Sorry, I was really thirsty, the temperature is particularly high today. You're making lunch?" James asked, pointing to the pot on the stove.

"My son insisted I'd make lasagna. That kid knows damn well I can't deny him anything. Not anything, but most of the things he asks for."

"I guess Hil's the bad cop then, hu?" James suggested, taking a sip from his water.

"Someone has to be."

"Right." the raven-haired man agreed. "I'll just dry myself up to avoid being a hazard. Imagine Sophia slipping and twisting an ankle the day before her wedding. I'd be a dead man walking." he joked.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Jeff called out, stopping him from leaving the kitchen. "We need to talk."

"We do?"

"Yeah, man!"

James raised an eyebrow, wondering where the conversation was headed.

"Okay..." he trailed off, chuckling nervously.

"Hil told me."

"About...?"

"You and the lovely Joy."

"We're not anything but friends, Jeff." the raven-haired man clarified, clearing his throat.

"I must say, I was a little skeptical at first." Hilarie's husband continued, ignoring James' dismissal completely. "My wife's a hopeless romantic and she loves setting people up. Sometimes, things go wrong, so I'm trying to contain the matchmaker inside her."

"Yeah, I've been set up on blind dates by her numerous times."

"How were they?" Jeffrey added the meat to the sauce he had been preparing, smiling knowingly.

"Disastrous." James disclosed, inhaling the delicious scent that had invaded the room. "Wow, this smells heavinly, what's your secret?

"Oregano. Key ingredient for my lasagna. As I was saying, Hilarie loves love. Ever since I first met her, she made sure I knew what I was getting into. It's ironic, because we were actually set up on a blind date ourselves: I knew Jensen Ackles from my days as a member of the cast of Supernatural, and he happened to be in a relationship with a wonderful woman you guys worked with."

"Danneel..."

"Precisely. I wasn't really into those kinds of things, but Jensen pratically dragged me there. He said: Jeff, if you don't go I'll have you know you're missing out on the love of your life. He was right. If I hadn't taken the plunge, I wouldn't have my smart, beautiful wife and my genius of a son by my side today. I try to transmit to my child that some people and opportunities only come once in a lifetime."

"That's a good lesson..."

"I'm not finished, Lafferty." the older actor barked, interrupting him. "As I already said, I doubted your compatibility with Joy because I had never actually spent any time observing how you two got along with each other." he carried on, stopping momentarily to pour the now properly seasoned meat and sauce on the glass platter. "However, I now think my wife finally got one good match."

James' mouth dropped open at Jeffrey's words, confused and surprised by what he seemed to mean.

"You guys have something there. I'm not sure what it is and you two sure as hell don't either, but you should figure it out, together. It's not one-sided. Don't be afraid to show her how you feel. People want you to believe that's emasculating but in fact being able to express your feelings isn't anything you should ever be ashamed of. So, you know... Do it. The time is now. Don't let her slip away. It's just like what they say at weddings: speak now or forever hold your peace."

* * *

Joy brushed her teeth, ready to go to bed after a fun but extremely long day. The wedding was less than twenty-four hours away and she could hear Sophia pacing around upstairs. The singer remembered how nervous she was on her wedding day, laughing at how silly her worries were back then. _Is he going to be waiting for me at the end of the altar? What if he gets cold feet? Will I be a good wife? What comes next?_ Everything that concerned vanished as soon as she had looked into her husband's eyes and said _I do_. She could only hope her friend found happiness that would last her for a lifetime.

The blonde actress padded to her room, closing the door behind her and moving carefully in the dark in order to find the comfy bed she had been sleeping in that same morning. Locating it, she threw the sheets back, nearly screeching when she touched someone's skin.

Rushing to the light switch, Joy turned it on, seeing a very confused James open his eyes and look around.

"What are you doing here?" she panted, checking if her black lace-trimmed _chemise_ was covering up her body correctly.

"Trying to sleep?" he replied, waiting for his eyes to adjust completely to the sudden clarity.

"I know, but what are you doing in _my_ room?"

" _Your_ room?"

"Yeah, I was the first to get here, so I got to choose where I'd stay."

"Oh. Shoot. It was empty when I got here so I just assumed you changed here yesterday but were staying in another room." James stuttered, stumbling over his words once he realised he was an intruder, blushing furiously as he tried to gather his belongings without looking at her sexy sleeping garment. "Do you know where the spare bed is? Jesse mentioned they had one somewhere."

The singer placed a hand on arm, leading the mumbling mess back to the bed.

"It's late and we've both had little to no sleep this weekend. You can stay here." she offered.

"Are you sure?" his eyes shot up, instantly being met with a breathtaking view.

"Yeah, of course. It's not like we've never shared a bed before." Joy pointed out, shutting off the light. "Scoot."

James moved to the other side of the king-size bed, nearly falling off it, earning a hearty laugh from his roommate, who grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him a little bit closer.

"You're very respectful of my personal space, and I'm thankful for that, but you don't have to hurt yourself. It's fine, James. Now, snooze. Tomorrow's going to be hectic. Believe me, I've been there."

The actor nodded, keeping his gaze fixated on her serene face while she once again gave into her tired body's desperate need of rest right by his side. As he felt her shift in her sleep, there was only one thing replaying in his brain:

 _Speak now or forever hold your peace._


	15. I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do

**AN:** Ahhh, I hear wedding bells! I just wanted to let you all know that your reviews and the love you have shown for this story mean the world to me. Literally. Please let me know what you think about this chapter. For the ceremony, I found this beautiful wedding script online that I just HAD TO use. It's different from the usually formal script, and it's just... amazing. So, yep, most of the priest's words are from a script I found online and fell in love with (of course I shortened it and changed one thing or two, but it's basically the same). Thank you to Max and Erin for posting it on the internet! Love, C. x

* * *

The grey curtains that kept the room dark after dawn were pulled back abruptly, revealing two sleeping bodies. The tiny dirty-blonde woman had her back pressed to the much larger man's chest, not even an inch of space separating them. His hand rested on the outline of her hips, over the covers.

"You need to get up. Now!" Hilarie pleaded, turning her back to the groggy pair and leaving, running down the hall knocking on Robert and Stephen's room door.

Joy practically jumped out of the bed, the lack of the warmth her body had provided giving James the encouragement he needed to push himself out of it as well, following her to their friends' weekend accommodation.

"What's going on?" the singer asked, crossing her arms over her exposed chest as Hilarie pulled Robert out of bed.

"Sophia went _rogue_."

"What?!" the foursome half-shouted, now completely awake and shocked.

"I slept with her upstairs because she wanted to follow tradition and Jesse stayed with my men. When I woke up, she was gone. I've looked for her everywhere." she explained, every bone of her body trembling with panic.

"If Sophia doesn't want to be found, she won't be found." Robert stated, yawning and stretching. "It's useless to look for her."

"Damn it, I was really looking forward to meeting some of her hot friends at the wedding!" Stephen moaned, pouting like a little boy.

Joy stared at them, still processing what was happening. Sophia must've been really freaking out if she fled the location on her wedding day. Something wasn't adding up.

"Alright, here's what we're going to do: you..." she pointed to Rob and Stephen."...shut up. James, would you mind closing the door so Jesse doesn't find out his fiancée is _MIA_?"

The actor obliged to her request, waiting for her to disclose the plan to recover the missing bride.

"We're checking every room in this house. Ross, I know you did that already, but maybe she came back in the meantime. Then, we search for the _Runaway Bride_ in our surroundings. Our last resort will be taking the cars and drive around the community." the singer instructed, certain her plan was bulletproof. "I believe our girl didn't go far." she concluded.

The five friends split, checking each division of the cabin before heading outside. An hour later, there was still no sign of Sophia, which made Hilarie freak out even more.

"Oh god, what are we going to tell Jesse?" she cried, running her hands through her curly hair.

"Hilarie, babe, it's going to be okay. We'll get the cars and you'll stay here, doing damage control. Are they up yet?"

"No, Jeffrey could sleep through the end of the world, Gus was exhausted and Jesse was sprawled all over the matress the last time I checked."

"Okay, so you just tell them we all went to look for Frankie because she ran away. We'll take her with us, she'll be our alibi. It's a perfectly reasonable explanation for this whole mess.

The raven-haired man listened intently to Joy, who was attempting to keep everyone calm in the middle of a crisis. She always found a way to make things better, even when she was only making use of her words to do so. James liked her, but above that, he respected and admired her strength and grace. Never had he met a woman that could compare to Joy.

"The hair and make-up team will be here at one. It's currently a few minutes after eleven. We need to get her here by half-past noon, tops."

"Got it. We'll get Frankie." Robert offered, picking up his car keys and sunglasses.

"Aw, why do _we_ have to get the dog?" Stephen wailed, walking right behind him, dragging his feet.

Hilarie hid her face in her hands, muttering something under her breath before perking up and putting on a smile.

"Do you think this will fool them?" she asked, trying her best not to look stressed out.

Joy pressed her lips into a tight line, a sympathetic look on her make-up-free face.

"It'll have to do. James and I will keep you updated, don't worry." the singer assured her nervous wreck of a friend, holding her by the shoulders. "This wedding is happening."

The usually bubbly woman nodded, prompting the pair to begin their search. Joy put on her sneakers, throwing James his car keys.

As they drove down the dirt road, the actor saw the worry etched on her angelic features, taking his right hand from the steering wheel and squeezing hers.

"How much do you want to bet someday we'll be laughing about this whole mess?" he babbled, earning an half-smile from his partner. "Hey, it's just like you said: it'll all be okay. Sophia's probably just winding down somewhere and..."

James stopped himself mid-sentence, his face lighting up in realization. Joy turned to him, her eyebrow raising, as if to ask him to voice the thoughts that were going through his head.

"I think I know where she he might be."

* * *

Pulling up at a quaint waffle house, James squinted, trying to locate the missing bride inside. He spotted her easily, sat in a booth, surrounded by empty plates and having yet another one set in front of her.

"Oh my god, there she is!" Joy gasped. "I need to call Hil." she added. "How did you know where she'd be?"

"There's two things you need to know about Sophia: she has had the words to _The Piña Colada Song_ stuck in her head ever since she first heard it and, when she needs to think, she finds the nearest place that serves sugary breakfast food and eats until she figures out what's she's going to do… or, you know, until she's stuffed." the actor explained. "We dated for a while, remember?" he chuckled.

"Yeah, but it was like eight years ago, I wasn't expecting you to remember these kinds of details."

"I never forget the tiny things about the women in my life. I still know the name of the perfume my high school girlfriend used to wear."

"You're a rare finding, Mr. Lafferty." Joy smiled, marveling in how endearing his personality was. "Alright, I'm getting our Julia Roberts. If she makes a run for it, tackle her. Not too hard though, she can't be bruised or toothless on her wedding day." she warned, swinging the door open.

"No, let me." he proposed.

"Are you sure?" the singer checked, wondering how he was planning to deal with the situation.

"Yep. If I screw up, you'll be the one tackling her though." James joked, climbing out of the car.

Sophia saw him the minute he walked in, taking another forkful of the insane amount of waffles she'd ordered into her mouth, giving her former boyfriend a thumbs up.

"Old habits die hard." he grinned, sitting in front of her and grabbing the fork from her hands, stealing a portion of the chocolate covered waffle she had yet to finish devouring.

"Seems like it, you still think I'm willing to share my food." the actress smirked, snatching her silverware back. "What are you doing here, doofus?"

James took a deep breath, fidgeting with his fingers and avoiding eye contact with the brunette.

"Listen, I've been thinking long and hard about this and... I think we should give our relationship another shot."

She got up immediately, reaching over the table to pinch his biceps the hardest she could repeatedly.

"What. The fuck. Is wrong. With you?" Sophia growled in between pinches.

"Ow! Ow! Jesus, stop!" he begged, her assault leaving small red marks on his skin.

"I'm getting married today to a man I love unconditionally, I'm got going back to you! Are you insane? This is exactly why you should never invite ex-boyfriends to your wedding, you never know when they'll strike with shit like this!" the actress rambled, fuming.

"Calm down, I was only joking!" James protested, rubbing his sore arms. "I just wanted to make sure you were still going through with it. Damn, you sure are stronger than you look." he laughed.

"This is not funny, James! What gave you the idea it wasn't happening and why in the world are you in pajamas in public?"

"Didn't really have time to change. You left while everyone else was asleep, didn't tell a living soul where you were going and you're sitting here eating a ridiculous amount of waffles by yourself, only a few hours away from one of the most important events of your life."

The brunette woman stopped chewing, coming to her senses. It did sound like she had cold feet.

"My mother told me she spent her entire wedding reception going around talking to the guests and barely got anything to eat so I just figured I'd get as much food in my stomach as I could while I had the opportunity." she revealed, drinking the rest of her coffee. "Plus, Hil is like a human furnace, I couldn't take spending another hour lying on the bed with her using me as a body pillow."

James let out a hearty laugh, imagining Sophia trying to sneak out without waking up their friend. She smiled in response, signaling the waitress to bring her the check.

"Thank you."

"For what?" he asked, reaching for the bill, taking out his wallet to pay.

"I know you remembered my stress-eating habits." the brunette acknowledged."You're a really good guy, James Lafferty. Never forget that."

He looked up at her, returning her sincere grin and placing money on the table.

"Thanks, Soph."

"Yeah, yeah, you're welcome." the actress replied, dismissing her kind words to her ex, and most importantly, friend. "Oh, and I'm paying for my food, thank you very much."

"Nonsense. I kind of forgot your wedding gift at home so... I guess the heavy breakfast will have to do for now."

"You don't..." she began to protest.

"I know, but it's my treat. Now, let's get out of here. Brace yourself for a magnificent set of lectures from two fiery blondes."

* * *

The minute they arrived back at the cabin, Hilarie grabbed Sophia, almost choking her in a tight embrace, doing her best to keep her voice down not to catch the three men that were kept in the dark's attention towards the situation.

Ushering the bride inside, the curly-headed blonde made it her mission to get her ready for hair and make-up before the team arrived at _Hidden Creek_.

"I made lunch, it's on the table. Hurry up, people, we've got a wedding to get ready to." she yelled from upstairs, closing the master bedroom's door behind her.

James sat beside Joy at the table, where Jesse, Jeffrey and Gus had been eating for about ten minutes before they all walked in. The actors immediately treated themselves to the roast Hilarie had cooked, their stomachs growling due to the fact they had skipped breakfast.

"Did you find Frankie?" the groom asked, genuinely worried.

The pair glanced at each other, trying to decide what to say.

"Mmm... Yeah, Stephen and Rob found her." Joy spoke quietly, using a napkin to clean the outer corners of her mouth.

As if on cue, the dynamic duo made its grand entrance, with Rob holding the pup in his arms.

"Did somebody call for the _dog whisperers_?" the blond man crowed, petting Frankie's soft fur.

"I thought we agreed that sounded cheesy." Stephen said through said through gritted teeth.

"Can I go pet Frankie now, daddy?" Gus requested, still chewing his food.

"Take your plate to the kitchen first."

"Thanks!" the little boy chirped, speeding up to the kitchen and quickly making his way back, taking the docile dog from Robert. "She's so cool!"

"I want you to be upstairs for your shower in ten. Your mom was very clear about the schedule."

"I know, I know."

"Well, I should head up to the bride's room. I'm supposed to help Sophia with the dress and the stress." Joy chuckled, getting up and picking up her plate as the dog catchers relished in the deliciousness of the homemade meal. "Wait, the dishes still need to be cleaned."

"Don't worry about it, I'm the groom, I've got plenty of time to do that." Jesse assured, taking the piece of porcelain from her hands. "Go see my girl." he smiled.

"Alright, I'm off. Keep in mind once I step foot on that room I'm no longer your friend, I'm the maid of honor and I will act accordingly." Joy joked, squeezing James' shoulder lightly.

The raven-haired man resisted the sudden urge to place his hand over hers, not wanting her to leave but knowing full well she had to. After all, the singer had been entrusted with one of the most important tasks at a wedding: bride duty. Who was going to help Sophia go to the bathroom? Joy. Who was going to hold her _bouquet_? Joy. Who was going to make polite conversation with family members to help the bride escape them so she could continue to mingle with other guests? Joy. He knew how crucial the blonde beauty's part was on their friend's special day, so he couldn't beg her to stay and talk until it was time for the ceremony to start. If only.

* * *

The clock struck a quarter to four. Cars continuously arrived at the cabin, some having to park along the dirt road that had led them there. Chatty guests started filling up the seats reserved for them in the multi-tiered wooden amphitheater nestled in pine trees, overlooking the pond.

It amazed James how breathtaking the venue was. Weddings weren't really his thing. Crowded, potentially awkward events always made him uneasy. Except for this one. The actor wasn't thinking about an excuse to cut his stay short after the ceremony, not this time. At that precise moment, as he stood in the aisle, his hands burried on his pockets, the raven-haired man was wondering what the beautiful woman he had known for fifteen years was doing. _Probably containing a scary version of the usually calm and collected Sophia Bush._ he thought to himself, chuckling.

"I think you can only walk around with your bow tie undone during the reception. Wedding etiquette." Joy spoke from behind him, as if she had magically read his mind and decided to grace him with her presence.

Turning around, much like the eager groom as his bride arrives at the altar, James felt the wind being knocked out of him. In a beige, gold-tone and multicolour silk blend fill loose _coupé_ floral dress with a deep v-neck, sporting her hair in a cascasding half updo that perfectly framed her face, Joy Lenz smirked up at her friend, oblivious to the way the actor's chin had almost dropped to the ground.

The short, sleeveless design, featuring a drawstring waist with a hanging tassel and pleated details, was nothing short of breathtaking. Accentuating her natural curves and glowing skin, it seemed like it had been made specifically and exclusively for the singer to wear. Now the image of that magnificent woman in that dress, under the afternoon sunlight that bathed the clearing where they currently stood, was permanently engraved on his brain.

"How do I look?" she inquired, jokingly spinning around. "If I were at home getting ready for a party or something, Maria would be begging for me to do «the princess twirl»."

"You look hmm…" he stuttered, struggling to find words that wouldn't completely give him out as the dumbfounded mess he was.

"Sophia demanded I'd wear something that would make me look ethereal, which I find totally subjective. Heaven doesn't look the same to everyone, right? I am totally rambling right now, but…"

"You look mesmerizing, Joy."

The four words slipped out of his tongue easily and they were both surprised at the smooth tone of his voice, exponentially steadier than it usually was around her. He couldn't have said truer words even if he tried.

Blushing slightly, the blonde beauty looked away, giving him peek of the diamond rose gold asymmetric ear cuff she wore on her right side. The sweeping wing motif evoked an enigmatic blend of fantastical creatures and angels, which only seemed appropriate for the occasion and the landscape surrounding them.

"What's up with the tie, though?"

"I can't tie it." the raven-haired man admitted, his shoulders slumping down in shame.

The singer shook her head, reaching up to grab both of the ends of his bow tie and starting to fumble around with the piece of fabric.

"How's the bride?"

"I think her mom and Hil might be freaking out more than she is. It's funny, actually, I…"

"Bethany Joy Lenz, where were you? You should be placing the baggies with the rose petals under the chairs! You know the wedding planner completely forgot about them." the curly-headed blonde reprimanded, holding a basket full of what seemed to be small golden antique satin pouches in her arms.

"Don't people throw rice or something?" a very confused James asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Not anymore. Apparently it's bad for the birds so I guess we're just going to _have to_ make it through with the rose petals." Joy mocked, teasing Hilarie.

"There's no time to joke around, young lady. And what the hell are you doing to the poor dude's bow tie?"

James looked down, seeing how his TV wife had been merely trying to do the bunny ear trick to get the fabric in place. Their friend handed the basket full of bags to the singer, fixing the mess she had made and signaling for her to follow her once she was done.

"I thought you knew what you were doing?" he shouted as she walked away.

"I really don't." Joy laughed, shrugging. "Buckle up, Mr. Lafferty, we're getting this show on the road."

* * *

"Please be seated. Yes, I am talking to you two youngsters in the second row. Come on." the priest, Father Joseph, scolded jokingly, waiting for the dynamic duo to stop arguing over who got to sit next to James in order to begin the ceremony. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the sight of God, surrounded by family and friends, to join together Jesse and Sophia in holy matrimony."

James stared down at his knuckles, remembering the years he had worn a band much like the one he had seen Craig, the groom's brother, store in his pocket a few minutes before. Weirdly, the gold ring had felt natural to wear on a daily basis. He used to go home or to a bar with Eve and realise he still had it on, not bothering to take it off in fear of losing it. Over the years it had gained a sentimental value the actor had yet to completely understand. No one knew other than the prop guy that James had kept the simple yet elegant band on a chain he hid in a drawer back home.

"If anyone can show just cause why they may not lawfully be joined together, speak now or forever hold your peace." the septuagenarian declared, looking around to make sure no one spoke or got up before he continued. "Very well, we'll proceed with the cerimony then."

Daring to catch a glimpse of the most beautiful maid of honor he had ever seen, the raven-haired man licked his lips as his eyes locked with Joy's, managing to steal a cheeky smile from her.

"Marriage deepens and enriches every facet of life. Happiness is fuller; memories are fresher; commitment is stronger. Marriage understands and forgives the mistakes life is unable to avoid. It encourages and nurtures new experiences and new ways of expressing love through the seasons of life. In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul wrote: love is patient and kind;love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth; love bears all things, endures all things. Love never ends."

Joy took in the priest's words. Love never ends, but it suffers somewhat of a metamorphosis. We never stop loving someone, the love we feel just fits into another category. It turns into a different kind of affection. She'd always love Michael, but she wasn't _in love_ with him anymore. That was the difference. The singer gazed at the wonderful scenery around her: it was perfect, something she could only assume had come out of one of Maria's fairytale books.

"Your relationship will take more than love. It will take trust, dedication, to stay open to one another, to learn and grow, even when it is difficult to do so. And faith, to go forward together without knowing what the future holds for you. While love is our natural state of being, these other qualities are not as easy to come by. They are not a destination, but a journey. Marriage is a give and take between two personalities. You are mature enough to know the difference between dreams and reality. You also know that good times are sweeter when shared and that difficult times are less harsh when borne by two. Tomorrow can bring you the greatest of joys, but today is the day it all begins." the priest proclaimed, motioning for them to join hands.

Her warm brown eyes laid on the man that, in just a matter of weeks, had come back into her life and filled it with excitement, fun and, most of all, joy. The blonde actress knew something had changed between them, but thinking about navigating through feelings she hadn't experienced intensely in a long time scared her to death. Letting someone in scared her to death.

"These are the hands that are holding yours on your wedding day as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow and forever. These are the hands that will countless times wipe tears from your eyes, tears of joy and sorrow. These are the hands that will help hold your family together as one as you overcome adversity. These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it. These are the hands that will work alongside yours as together you build your future."

James remembered the times his hands had held Joy's, the way hers fit into his as if they were simply the last two pieces of a puzzle he had been waiting all his life to assemble. The actor noticed how her hands were shaking slightly as she held on to the _bouquet._

"Sophia and Jesse, from this moment on you will never be alone. You will carry with you the love of another person, giving you a renewed lightness. May your life together be immersed in love and excitement. May you strive to enrich each other in every possible way."

"Yes! Go Jophia!" Robert hooted, pumping his fist up in the air.

Hilarie immediately smacked her friend in the back of the head, placing a finger over her tinted lips to shut him up.

"Thank you, young man. These two are lucky to have you cheering them on." The septuagenarian chuckled, along with the couple and the rest of the guests. "With that being said... Jesse, do you take Sophia Anna Bush as your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse; for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

"I do." the groom replied, surely, as a nervous grin grew on his handsome face.

"And do you, Sophia, take Jesse Lee Soffer as your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse; for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?

"I do. I do. I do. I really do." Sophia stuttered, radiating happiness with a smile that put her gorgeous dimples on full display.

Joy let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, taking her hand to her chest as she internally cheered for the couple while James gave her a thumbs up from his seat.

"Now, I understand the bride and groom have a few words to say to each other." Father Joseph divulged, turning to face the bride. "Go ahead, my dear."

Everyone's eyes were fixated on Sophia once again, but hers bore into Jesse's, wanting him to know she meant every word she was about to say.

"We met at a time in my life where I had pretty much given up on the idea of finding you. You, a kind, smart, extremely funny man, who loves me endlessly. Jesse, you took a woman circumstances had turned into a skeptic and made her believe she could fall in love again without having to worry about the possibility of having her heart broken. You took the shattered pieces scattered over my chest and put them together with so much patience and love... I could never thank you enough for that. But I can try... And I will, for the rest of our lives."

The groom drew a shaky breath, trying to keep the tears in his eyes from falling. Not because he was ashamed of crying, but because he still had his vows to proclaim and he knew once the first few tears fell he wouldn't be able to speak.

"Sophia..." he croaked, clearing his throat after as the blushing bride reached up and wiped the sneaky water droplet that had escaped his emerald green eyes. "Thank you for loving me when I'm happy, when I'm sad, when I'm angry and obnoxious, when I can't stop talking about things I like or things I can't stand. Standing here with you today, in the presence of our closest friends and family, I do not regret any of the time we spent together, not even the ugly fights or the screaming matches. In the end, we always ended up clinging onto each other, saying we're sorry. No matter what, we always bounced back. Together. It was all worth it. The good, the bad and the ugly. We're here. We made it, babe. I solemnly swear to never question your very questionable eating habits, or the reasons why you know the lyrics to every cringy song in the books. I vow to cherish and appreciate you as long as you'll have me... And long after that, because I love you more than words can say. Believe me when I say I do."

"Beautiful, beautiful words." the priest noted. "Now...The rings."

Craig pulled out a small black velvet box from his blazer's inner pocket and Joy looked at her thumb, where the ring that she had been entrusted with rested.

The groom's brother handed him the open box, letting him take the stunning wedding band from it.

"Repeat after me as you place the ring on your bride's finger: with this ring, I thee wed."

"With this ring, I thee wed." Jesse almost whispered, reluctantly letting go of his soon-to-be wife's hand for her to get his matching gold band.

"Sophia..." Father Joseph motioned to the brunette with an encouraging smile.

The singer took the band from her thumb and quickly gave it to her friend, grinning like a happy fool, letting out a tiny squeal only James seemed to hear, as he covered his face with his hands to stifle a laugh.

"With this ring, I thee wed." Sophia said in a sing-song voice, eager to hear Father Joseph's concluding words.

"By the power invested in me by the state of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride!"

Jesse stumbled back as his wife flung herself into his arms, kissing him passionately, while everyone around them cheered, clapping enthusiastically. You could feel the love that irradiated from the married couple and that brought happiness to their friends and family.

The maid of honor hurried to straighten up Sophia's veil and the dress' small train as she walked down the aisle with her husband, white rose petals falling over and around her beautiful figure. She looked... What was the word? _Ethereal_. Joy was a fallen angel. His heart sped up its pace when she looked his way and smiled, for the millionth time that day, scrunching up her nose the way only she knew how to.

James couldn't keep it in anymore. He was undeniably infatuated with a woman he often held up on a pedestal. He had to say something.

In the end, we only regret the chances we didn't take.


	16. This Here And Now With You

Joy felt like she could walk on air, an unwavering sense of gleefulness washing over her as she watched one of her close friends walk down the aisle as a married woman. After all that Sophia went through, she deserved, more than anyone else, a happy ending.

"I have a feeling your dress was made by tiny forest fairies that decided you were their new muse, henceforth ending up creating the masterpiece you're wearing right now." Shantel conjectured, with a nasally voice, approaching the singer and intertwining her arm with hers, obliviously walking right past _loverboy_.

"Yes, the designers and dressmakers at _Chloé_ do have magical hands." the smaller woman chuckled, patting the hand that rested on her arm. "Where were you sat? I don't think I saw you from up there."

"I kind of got lost and went to _Cedar Creek_. Halfway through the ceremony I realised I didn't know neither the bride nor the groom so... Yeah... Blame my bad sense of direction and a terrible cold turned into flu."

"Aw, sweets." Joy laughed, picturing the ridiculous situation Shantel had found herself in. "How are you feeling?"

"The fever's down." her TV sister replied, sniffling. "I'm on antibiotics and a pretty strong cough syrup, so the reception should be fun!"

The two blondes followed the crowd to the venue, where they found their favorite duo, whose ties were already on their heads and whose dress shirts' first two buttons were undone, greeting every woman that walked by with a goofy, but courteous bow.

" _Dudettes_!" Rob called out. "Over here!"

"What did I tell you about drinking before meals?"

"Relax _Joyous_ , we haven't been drinking. It's a wedding though, so my partner and I are ready to score." Stephen snickered, rubbing his hands together.

"Are you sure about that?" Joy smirked, motioning with her head to Robert and Shantel, who had quickly stepped away from them.

"Oh, for fuck's sake. It's like they're attached to the hip. Shantel arrives and all of a sudden, BOOM! I'm chopped up liver! Unbelievable." the olive-skinned man huffed. "You have no idea how he gets around _blondie_."

The singer wrapped an arm around his shoulders, struggling to do so as her friend was considerably taller than her. Finding a reasonable middle term, she took the tie from Stephen's head and handed it back to him.

"Come on, let's find our seats. You can tell me all about it while I'm feasting on _hors d'oeuvres_. You're not allowed to use the tie on your head until about fifty percent of the wedding party is drunk, though." the blonde actress stated, spotting James in the distance.

By the entrance, a large gold plated seating chart divided the guests into twelve tables, each one named after an European capital. Stephen scanned through the perfectly designed poster, finding himself and his former castmates placed in number three, _Paris_.

" _Great_ , the city of love." Stephen groaned, slumping his shoulders and heading to their table. "Just my luck."

Joy glanced around once more, fascinated by the beautiful vines hanging in the log trellis where they stood, the ethereal aura of the breathtaking venue standing out more than ever now that the afternoon sun shone upon it. She wondered if she could freeze that moment in time and revisit it as many times as she desired. The singer loved everything about it: the pond, the reception area, the exquisite view and the company. Only Maria's presence could've made it an absolutely perfect day. Her daughter informed her, during the call Joy had made after going up to the bride's room, that she had gone to the beach that morning, pretending to be Ariel with the aid of her grandparents, making Haas the dog version of Sebastian. The cute factor was definitely high.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't hear James' steps as he closed the distance between them, his hands once again buried in his pockets.

"Paris, hu?"

The petite blonde smiled up at him, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Hmm, seems like it." she confirmed, reading the rest of the tables' names: Madrid, Prague, London, Berlin, Rome, Lisbon, Budapest, Athens, Bern, Stockholm and Vienna.

 _How convenient_ , he thought, well aware of the promise he'd made to himself that he'd finally let Joy know about everything that had being going through his brain for the past month. Even though James couldn't quite explain it himself and it made him feel uneasy, the idea of giving up what could very well be his last chance was driving him crazy. Who was he right now? A seventeen-year-old version of himself? The raven-haired man hadn't been as neurotic about a conversation since his mom and dad had told him it was time to talk about the birds and the bees.

"Sophia wanted each table to have traditional food from the capitals they represent. We're having...let me see... _Ratatouille_. And for dessert... _Crème brûlée_. Mmm..." Joy's voice broke his trance. "How beautiful was the wedding?" she gushed, the giddiness in her spirit having yet to subside. "How beautiful is this?"

 _Not nearly as beautiful as you_.

"It's pretty great." he agreed, mimicking his temporary roommate and looking around, pretending to not notice the way her eyes were glistening as she marveled at the sight of the newlyweds, who made their big entrance at that precise moment.

"Oh, come on. I saw you getting all emotional during the ceremony." the singer teased.

"I think that might've been around the time Stephen decided to pinch me. I don't know what's up with people doing that today but..."

"Why the hell would he pinch you?"

 _Because I was staring at you like a lost puppy._

"He's a weird dude."  
 _  
That should hold it._

"Mmm, yeah, I know..." Joy agreed adjusting the tassels of her dress. "But hey, either we continue discussing how much of an odd duck Coletti is or we can sit down and eat. I vote for the latter, because I am _starving_." she admitted, a growling sound coming from her stomach. "See?"

James let out a loud laugh, placing his large hands on her shoulders and leading her to their assigned table, only to be stopped by Hilarie.

"What the hell are you guys doing? It's photo op time!" she announced, grabbing their arms and practically dragging them to the gazebo attached to the log trellis, where they could hear and see the small streams of the pond, the amazing lighting being perfect for the photographs to be taken.

Jesse's parents were posing for their picture with the beautiful couple, the four of them smiling contently. The pair glanced at each other, admiring how endearing the scene was.

"Okay, now you guys step in." Hilarie instructed, on complete fill-in wedding planner mode. "Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Soffer."

"The both of us?" James asked, waving his index finger between him and the singer.

"Yes, silly. The both of you. Go!"

Joy shrugged, laughing, taking note of how weddings could turn cool, carefree Hilarie Ross Burton into a stressed momma bear, worried about her newlywed cubs having the time of their lives. Placing a hand on the groom's back and another one on his arm, she grinned widely.

The raven-haired man stood on the other side, right next to Sophia, chuckling at the curly-headed blonde's attempt at getting genuine smiles by making faces behind the photographer's back. He remembered his mom doing the exactly the same thing whenever she took him to get his pictures taken when he was little.

"Okay, now can we get one of Joy and Sophia? Then one of James and Joy?" the friend-turned-event planner requested.

The couple and their friends didn't dare to deny her subtle order, switching positions, with the men stepping aside for the ladies to shine. Like two angels that had descended from heaven to grace them with their presence, Sophia and Joy had their own little impromptu shoot, with Hilarie being pulled in halfway through.

"As fun as this is, we need to get everyone's pics, so James get your butt over here so I can release you both from photo duty."

James obeyed her command, taking the bride's spot by the pretty blonde's side. He was slightly taken aback when the woman he'd been admiring all day spontaneously rested her head against his toned chest, an arm snaking around his waist and a hand placed a few inches above his sculpted abs. The actor held her close, rejoicing internally at how, once again, Joy seemed to be so comfortable in that position.

The photographer gave them a countdown, taking the first picture at zero and preparing himself to take a couple of spare ones. As he did, the singer's stomach growled, reminding her and her company she was in desperate need of food.

The pair burst into laughter, ending up with a wonderful candid of sheer happiness in result, as everyone around the TV husband and wife swooned over the chemistry that oozed out of them.

"That's it, _Superman_ and _Wonder Woman._ Thank you for your patience and photogenic faces. You're free."

"Finally!" Joy extolled, kissing Hilarie's cheek and rushing out of the gazebo, followed closely behind by James.

"Tell Rob and Shantel it's their turn!" the curly-headed ball of energy called out, ushering a couple of Sophia's relatives in while she did.

Joy filled a plate with the small _entrées_ five waiters were walking around serving, taking a bite out of one of them.

"So good!" she moaned out of pleasure, making James chuckle as he took another appetizer from a waitress' tray and placed it on her plate. "Earl and _Goldilocks_ , your turn."

"Am I seriously going to be the only person here who takes a singles photo?" Stephen groaned.

"Don't worry, I'm pretty sure Hilarie will make you join us when it's our turn." Jeffrey remarked, handing Gus a linen napkin from the other side of the table.

James and Joy sat next to each other as if they were doing it instinctively and out of habit, missing the knowing looks of their former co-workers when all the seats at their table were finally taken, as they ate their _hors d'oeuvres_ in a comfortable silence, not needing to exchange words to let the other know they were appreciating their company.

* * *

"I feel like I lost my right nut." Stephen complained, shoving more food into his mouth as he spoke, watching Rob and Shantel make cute _Boomerang_ 's on the actress' phone.

"I'm right here!" his former wingman chuckled, stretching his arm behind Gus to touch his friend's shoulder.

"Don't touch me, blond Judas." he jerked his arm away just like a child throwing a temper tantrum.

"Come on, Coletti. You know you're Rob's one and only." Shantel reasoned, sipping on her _Shirley Temple_.

"Mmm... Yeah, sure."

James shot Joy a playful look, the both of them trying their best not to crack a smile at the olive-skinned man's pout as he picked through the remnants of the main course.

The bride and groom roamed around the venue, chatting away with their relatives and close friends, reminding James of the conversation he and Sophia had had that morning. She was right, there's no way she'd get enough to eat throughout the night. He watched as she kissed her husband's hand sweetly, waltzing to another table.

" _Il n'y a q'un bonheur dans la vie: c'est d'aimer et d'être aimé."_ Joy stated, noticing the small smile adorning his handsome features.

His attention was brought back to the gorgeous woman sat next to him, facing her with a quizzical expression.

"There is only one happiness in life: to love and be loved." she explained."It's only fitting we speak in French, since we're having dinner in Paris..."

"Yes, of course." he nodded. "Unfortunately the only thing I know how to say in French is _bonjour_." the raven-haired man joked, undoing his bow tie and the first two buttons of his white shirt.

"Oh James, I've still got so much to teach you." the blonde actress patted his head condescendingly.

He raised an eyebrow, smirking.

"Oh, yeah?"

"Don't doubt it for a second."

* * *

Charles, the bride's father, lightly tapped the tip of the microphone set at the small stage where the live band had been playing instrumentals of the couples' favorite songs.

"How's it going?"

All the guests cheered in response, some hooting, some whistling loudly.

"After the meal, come the speeches. You know the drill, right? Keep in mind Joy probably thought long and hard about what she was going to say while Craig, to be fair, probably wasn't aware he was supposed to speak. Anyway... Maid of honor, you're up."

"Oh god." Joy mumbled, grasping her champagne flute with her right hand, while her TV husband squeezed the other one reassuringly.

A roar of applause encouraged her to address the bride and groom the few words she had prepared the day Sophia had asked her to be her right hand woman. Clearing up her throat, she rapidly shook off her nerves, beaming brightly at the audience.

"In case you can't tell... I'm ecstatic to be here today. Yeah, we've got lots of food, an amazing view and warm weather but the best part about this Sunday is that these two have tied the knot. A round of applause for the bride and groom, everybody!" Joy chanted, clapping. "I was asked to come up here and give a speech about love. I'll try to keep it realistic. Love is, undoubtedly, a huge leap into the unknown. You can play it cool and say you're totally in control of your feelings and every situation that stems from being irreversibly in love with someone, but, in the end, you're still jumping off a cliff with a blindfold covering your eyes, hoping someone's down there waiting to catch you. Love isn't always easy. But it's worth it. Oh, god, it's so worth it! Like Gloria Steinem once said: «Taking to the road - by which I mean letting the road take you - changed who I thought I was. The road is messy in the way that real life is messy. It leads us out of denial into reality, out of theory and into practice, out of statistics and into stories - in short, out of our heads and into our hearts.» She's a registered badass and I completely agree with her: real life and real love are messy. We only know what it's really like when we live it. Never be afraid to take a risk and experience everything love provides you. I'm more than certain that you too, like many others before, will beat statistics and make your love story as epic as every great tale ever told." she concluded, raising her glass for a toast. "Cheers to the bride and groom. May they find everlasting happiness."

The blonde beauty stepped aside after drinking a small amount of the expensive champagne, blowing Sophia a kiss, who wiped a couple of tears from the corner of her emerald green eyes, waiting for the groom's brother to give his own speech.

Craig Soffer grasped the microphone cerimonially, saluting everyone with a nod and motioning for people to remain quiet, leaning in so his lips touched the windscreen.

"What she said." he jested, running off the stage to avoid his brother's annoyed eye roll, as everyone laughed at the ridiculous situation.

Hilarie climbed on stage next, tucking a loose strand of curly hair behind her ear.

"Joy and Craig, everybody!" she crowed. "Now... The moment we've all been waiting for..."

Back to her seat, Joy eagerly awaited for Hilarie to announce the artists the singer had invited to perform the first dance's song. Sophia had given her permission to surprise her with the people who'd be belting out the lyrics to one of her favorite tunes of all time while she danced with Jesse for the first time as a married woman.

"The first dance! Sophia and Jesse, please step up to the dancefloor. To perform _Leather And Lace_ , Michael Grubbs and Alexz Johnson!"

Sophia squealed loudly, covering her mouth with her hands as one of her former co-stars and a very talented musician entered the log trellis in a blue suit. She'd always loved his music and the fact Joy had kept that in mind while scouting for a singer made her heart swell.

Grubbs greeted her with a single kiss on the cheek, getting to the stage as the wedding band returned, ready to play.

"Actually, Alexz couldn't make it today so I would like to ask the maid of honor to come up here and help me sing... Joy, will you be the Stevie Nicks to my Don Henley?" the bearded man asked.

"I thought you'd never ask." she mused, taking him up on his offer.

The reception venue turned completely silent as the first chords to the song were heard. It was now nighttime, the fairy lights intertwined with the hanging vines providing the romantic vibe required for that specific moment.

 _Is love so fragile and the heart so hollow? Shatter with words, impossible to follow...You're saying I'm fragile, I try not to be... I search only for something I can't see. I have my own life and I am stronger than you know...But I carry this feeling, when you walked into my house, that you won't be walking out the door...Still I carry this feeling, when you walked into my house, that you won't be walking out the door._

James could only stare in awe, for what seemed to be the millionth since he'd known Joy, as she stood next to Grubbs, her incredible voice once again causing goosebumps to raise across his skin. He remembered the very first time he had met her: big, long, blonde hair, a million dollar smile and...a tabby cat. Weirdly enough, back then the actor instantly knew she was unique. As he got to know her better throughout the nine years they spent working together, he learned Bethany Joy Lenz was so much more than _just_ unique: she was quirky, talented, loving, devoted, intelligent and the greatest friend one can ever have.

 _Lovers forever, face to face. My city or mountains, stay with me stay... I need you to love me, I need you today... Give to me your leather, take from me my lace._

Jesse lead Sophia on the wooden dancefloor, their family and friends finally daring to join them as Michael started his verse. The couple moved in sync, as if they'd been training to dance together their entire lives. It's poetic how life can throw us the toughest harships, only to reward us immensely after making it through the storm. Sophia had set the precedent and James was determined to find his way home after being lost for what felt like a lifetime.

 _Sometimes I'm a strong man, sometimes cold and scared, and sometimes I cry...But that time I saw you I knew with you to light my night somehow I'd get by..._

Joy held both of her hands to her heart, pouring every bit of emotion into the duet. She could see the peaceful smile on the bride's lips as she danced with her head on her husband's shoulder. James' piercing blue eyes locked with hers from table number three. Right then and there, the singer felt something in the pit of her stomach. If she didn't know any better, she'd think it was his doing. It couldn't be, tough.

The song soon came to an end, prompting the blonde woman to do as Hilarie commanded her through hand gestures to proceed with the highly anticipated wedding tradition.

"Alright, all the single ladies head on to the dancefloor, it's time to throw the _bouquet_!" Joy announced. "You too, Stephen."

"Nice!" her friend yelled, raising his empty glass.

The _bouquet_ toss was quick and easy, the flowers ending up on Sophia's seventy-nine-year-old great-aunt's hands, much to her younger female guests' dismay.

A new balad began, an Ed Sheeran song from his latest album, taking most of the couples and small children present to the dimly lit area. Shantel and Rob took the opportunity to show off their expertise at ballroom dancing, leaving a very bored Stephen eating his _crème brûlée_.

"Hil, honey, I'm going over to _Lisbon_ to steal a couple of custard tarts, I'll be right back." Jeffrey excused himself, not taking his eyes off table number seven, a few feet away.

"Custard tarts?" James raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, don't ask." Hilarie chuckled, turning to her son. "Hey, baby, want to take momma dancing?"

The seven-year-old shrugged, following his mother to where Sophia and her dad were swaying back and forth, crossing paths with Joy, who was now finally headed to _Paris_.

Seeing the olive-skinned man huff and puff over his current state of loneliness and boredom, she felt the need to pull him out of his funk and have him interact with other people. Who knows, even talk to a few women.

Placing her hands on the back of James' chair, she leaned over, smiling sweetly.

"Get up, Coletti. You owe me a slow dance."

"Since when?" he groaned, barely meeting her eyes.

"Since I'm your spare wing...woman."

Stephen instantly perked up, dragging his chair back and taking off his blazer.

"Are you serious?"

"Don't make me say it twice."

James laughed, admiring Joy's gesture. The actor knew full-well she'd done it with the intent to help their friend. Getting up, he walked to the sideline of the dancefloor, standing there battling himself about whether he should ask the beautiful woman to dance or not.

 _Maybe I came on too strong, maybe I waited too long... Maybe I played my cards wrong, oh just a little bit wrong._

As she swayed graciously to the sound of Grubb's voice, dancing with another man, he wondered if he had missed his opportunity. What if it had come and gone, like the tide that washes over the shore?

 _So don't call me baby, unless you mean it. Don't tell me you need me if you don't believe it. So let me know the truth before I dive right into you..._

Should he take the plunge? Should he risk it all right here, right now? He knew he had to, he was determined to. James Lafferty wasn't going to back out. He was just...afraid.  
 _  
You're a mystery, I have travelled the world and there's no other girl like you, no one._

The raven-haired man had met his share of women throughout his mid-teens and early adulthood, but he was certain that the maid of honor would always be the one he'd wonder about. Did she feel the same? Would he ever get the privilege to love her?

Oblivious to James' inner turmoil, the singer wrapped her arms around Stephen's neck, motioning with her head towards various ladies around their age.

"Stephen, that redhead is gorgeous! I don't see a ring on her finger and she hasn't danced with any men yet, so..."

"You think I should...?"

"Yeah, dude! Like, now." she urged, releasing him from her grasp and sending him on his way. "Good luck!"

* * *

Gus timidly tugged at the hem of Joy's dress as soon as she was done with her duty as a skillful _wingwoman_. She stooped down so they were at the same height, being careful not to lose her balance.

"Hey, buddy, what's up?" she asked, sweetly.

"Do you want to...?" he mumbled, his brown eyes set on his new shoes.

"I'd love to, honey. You're leading." the blonde stated, getting back up, holding Gus' small hands with hers. "Ready? One, two, three..."

The seven-year-old giggled loudly, counting the steps along with his partner and being spun around a couple of times in a row.

"You're a natural, Augustus Morgan!" Joy claimed, picking him up, a little bit at cost, continuing to step on the imaginary square on the floor.

"Mind if I cut in?" James' raspy voice inquired.

"I don't know if you can... Gus here is the best dancer at this wedding." the singer avowed.

"Oh, come on. You have to at least test if I'm a fair contender to his title..." he pleaded, winking at Hilarie's son.

"Mmm..." Joy furrowed her eyebrows, turning to the boy. "What do you think, sweetheart?"

"He can try." he shrugged, waiting for the blonde actress to let him down before running off to meet his parents.

James scoffed, facing the maid of honor to start the longed for dance.

"You heard him." she teased, feeling the palm of his large hand on the small of her back.

At that precise moment, _Dive_ gave place to The Proclaimer's _I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles),_ making the pair throw their heads back, laughing.

"I guess we'll have to wait for a slow one, sailor." she patted his arm, singing the tune enthusiastically, making different voices as she did.

James played along, bringing out his dorkiest side, normally hidden by his quiet and shy nature.

They jumped up and down, shouting " _da da da_ " at the wrong time, embarrassingly so, looking around to check if anyone had heard them.

 _Thank god my heels aren't that high. My feet would be killing me by now_ , she thought to herself, groaning internally at the prospect of having sore legs the next morning.

If anyone cared to observe them at that moment, they'd think they looked like a couple of young kids, belting out the lyrics to a song, filled with nostalgia for a long gone era.

Joy saw the goofy, laid-back grin on James' face and hers grew twice its size. The untied bow tie she'd messed up earlier, the unbuttoned collar, showing a little bit of his chest, the way he towered over her, made him look even more attractive than he already was. James Lafferty was a sight for sore eyes.

He noticed how her eyes bore into his own and the music seemed to fade out into the background, the people around them disappearing into faint blobs of colour. That moment, the dancing, the laughter and the song would stay with him forever. Taking a deep breath, he stopped jumping, asking Joy to do the same.

"Come on." he instructed, grabbing her by the hand.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see..." the actor replied mysteriously, looking back at her with a smirk.

"You're not going to, like, murder me with an axe, right?"

"Of course not. It's a chainsaw."

"You're just full of funny today, aren't you, Lafferty?" she rolled her eyes playfully.

"What can I say? I have a great sense of humor."

The fairy lights could still be seen clearly when James halted his movements right by four pine trees displayed in a row. He hesitantly let go of her hand, placing his on the bark of one of the tall trees.

"This is _The Foursome Of Love_."

"Okay?" Joy chuckled, a confused look on her gorgeous face.

"I found these when I came out for a walk after lunch while you ladies were getting ready. They have hundreds of inscriptions on them. Take a look."

She came closer to the tree, taking the phone he'd handed her, using its flashlight to be able to read said scribblings. Tons of _I love you's_ and lovers' initials were permanently carved into wood, from the bottom of the trunk to as far as her eyes could see. The same happened in the other three pine trees beside it.

"I asked one of the waiters earlier about them and he said they represent four of the key pillars of any relationship: patience, respect, honesty, kindness and trust. Apparently, marking these tall suckers brings good luck to couples." he explained, crouching down to try to find a sharp rock. "Afterwards, you have to ask for something your heart truly desires, whatever that means."

"What are you doing?" Joy asked, clearly amused by his antics.

"Looking for something I can use to carve Sophia and Jesse's initials here. They deserve a happy life together."

The singer's heart skipped a beat at his sincere words, ultimately deciding to join him in his quest for the edged flint.

"Will this do?"

James looked up, his lips contorting into a small grin.

"That's perfect." he vouched, taking the small pointy object from Joy.

Sure enough, the next song on the _repertoire_ was _Perfect_. They could easily distinguish Grubb's voice from where they stood, the beautifully written words of the tune's original performer reverberating between them.

"Woah..." the blonde actress gasped. "Jesus, Sophia _really_ likes Ed Sheeran…"

The raven-haired man stopped his task, diverting his attention back to her.

"Don't you?"

"Yeah, but I think I like his upbeat songs way better than the ballads… _Barcelona_ is a personal favorite. _Let's pretend we're dancing in the streets in Barcelona_ …" she hummed softly, raising her arms over her head and doing her best to emulate a _Flamenco_ dancer.

James dropped the stone he'd been using to leave a shaky token of the newlyweds' love on one of _Hidden Creek_ 's most famous arbors, pulling her to him. It was bold, yes, but this was the moment he'd been waiting for the entire night.

"Charging the slow dance now, I see." the singer teased, letting her old friend hold her gently against his body.

"It's now or never, right?"

 _I will not give you up this time, but darling just kiss me slow, your heart is all I own, and in your eyes you're holding mine…_

The moolight lit up her face in all the right places, making her big, brown, loving eyes stand out even more now that he observed them up close. How could he have lived so many years without the incredible flutter he felt whenever her gaze caught his? Her delicate touch raised goosebumps on his skin and her melodic laughter made its way to his ears. Billions of stars looked down on the pair, illuminating the Summer sky as they silently let their undeniably strong chemistry do all the talking.

 _Baby I'm dancing in the dark, with you between my arms, barefoot on the grass, listening to our favorite song. When you said you looked a mess, I whispered underneath my breath, but you heard it, darling you look perfect tonight…_

Leaning down impossibly close to Joy's face, he was surprised to find her staring at him in a complete daze, as if that moment was happening in a dream. Their foreheads touched, neither one of them moving an inch to gain distance from the other.

"Weren't you supposed to make a wish?" the blonde beauty half-whispered, not breaking eye-contact with the handsome man.

"This. Here and now. With you. It's all I could ask for." he confessed, licking his lips slowly as he closed the mere inches separating their lips for the first time in six years.

No cameras. No script. No other people around. This was real. This was James and Joy.

James' lips moved slowly against Joy's, his hands instantly finding their way onto her jawline. He knew then he had been allowed to get a glimpse of heaven. How could a mere kiss make him feel like he was on top of the world? The actor had kissed her hundreds of times for work, but those kisses weren't even half as good as this one. There was no doubt in his mind it was because this time there were strong feelings involved. It was a true kiss. Raw. Passionate. Liberating.

But then, she pulled back. Her eyes were wide open and she seemed jittery, running a couple of fingers through her lips as she tried to regain her breath.

"You shouldn't have done that, James." the singer stuttered.

"I wanted to..." the raven-haired man admitted, daring to look her in the eye as he did.

The maid of honor stepped back from him, burying her hands in her hair, pacing back and forth as she tried to make sense of what had just happened.

"Oh god, please don't... We can't... This is wrong...I... Why?"

"Because you're smart, witty, stubborn, kind, driven, loving, incredibly funny and astoundingly beautiful. When I first saw you today I couldn't breathe. Honestly, it happens every single time I see you. You make my heart beat faster each time those big brown eyes meet mine and I haven't found a rational explanation for it yet, other than it means that I have feelings for you. I've thought about you every day since the convention. Lately, every time something good or funny happens you're the first person I want to tell it to. I know that this a huge leap into the unknown and it could go terribly wrong, but for once in my life I'm not afraid of the consequences. I'm afraid that if I let you go again I'll live the rest of my life wondering what could have been. I'm sorry, but I can't do that. I can't. I like you, Joy. And I think I might like you a lot."

 _ **AN:**_ I'm terribly sorry for taking so long to update. Thank you for your patience and for sticking around. Taking classes to obtain my driver's license, studying for my exams, etc. has worn me out completely. All the stress caused by the lack of time to do anything and everything has originated a massive writer's block that I can only describe as the most frustrating thing I've experienced in a long time. I knew this chapter had to be absolutely perfect because of the importance it has in the narrative so the pressure was ON. I had everything planned out but the "filler" parts were pure agony to write, mostly because of the need I had to make them amazing. I'm somewhat happy with how it turned out, but I'm also exhausted and a bit anxious to know what you thought of it. By the way, due to the fact I recently found out some pretty shocking things about the Galeotti's, I have altered the previous chapters in which Michael was featured in because I didn't think he was being portrayed accurately. Thankfully, no major alterations were necessary. Hope you understand my need to do what I've done. All the love, C.

PS: I'd like to thank **Mel** (a million times) for giving me her opinion on this chapter as I was writing it. You're a saint, both for putting up with me and for cheering me on, as I dwelled in doubt and self-pity. A special shoutout to **Vicks** as well, for dm'ing me JL's moments when I needed them the most. My sanity: saved.  
Oh, and there's a nod to my country here, because I do love being Portuguese and what better way to represent my homeland than through our delicious food and pastries? Our _pastéis de Belém_ (a.k.a the custard tarts Jeffrey was drooling over) are TO DIE FOR. The food here is TO DIE FOR. Highly recommend you come and try it for yourselves! :) Sorry, but I had to, haha!


	17. Fools Rush In (WAFTT)

_**AN:**_ This chapter's title is an homage to our dear Doris (chapter 8), named after the iconic Doris Day. _Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear To Tread)_ sung by Doris is one of the many versions of this tune and I've been wanting to use it for a loooong time. Last chapter was a pain in the ass to write and this one was as well, and I'm sorry for taking so long to update but I can't do it as fast anymore. Life (and very bad moods) gets (get) in the way, you know? Anyway, thank you for your immense support and all your wonderful reviews. They don't go by unnoticed. My heart's full of appreciation for all of you wonderful people who enjoy reading my story and take the time to let me know what you think about it. Next chapter: _Sir_ Elton John. Any guesses about the song? Love, C.

* * *

 **Chapter 17 - Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear To Tread)**

Bethany Joy Lenz wasn't one to run away. She never turned her back on a challenge or a problem. Nothing made her take a step back, not even the most sticky situation. The singer always grabbed the bull by its horns. But, as soon as James Lafferty confessed having feelings for her, she shut down. From that moment on, all she could hear was static, as his lips continued moving, until she blurted out a simple "Oh".

The look on his face was something Joy would never forget, as they gazed at each other under the moonlight and billions of bright stars. He stood there waiting, hopeful she'd add something to the interjection she had managed to muster at first.

A quick "I have to go" escaped her mouth, turning away from her former co-worker in a haste, fastening her pace in fear he'd catch up. As she approached the log trellis, the singer realised he hadn't been following her. From afar, Joy could distinguish his tall frame by the tree where, less than five minutes ago, they had shared their first kiss.

 _Their first kiss._

The blonde actress' mind was racing a thousand miles an hour, his taste still imprinted on her now semi-smudged lips, a red flush staining her cheeks and her heart thumping loudly in her chest. She felt like a deer caught in headlights, completely blindsided, not by the kiss and James' words, but by the way it had woken in her the need for _more_. More kisses. More gentle touches. More embraces. More heartfelt speeches. And, god, did that mortify her.  
 _  
Celebration_ , by Kool & The Gang was playing in the speakers, as the live band was given a well-deserved break. Joy glanced around the venue, spotting several of her friends. Finding the bride on the dancefloor, hopping around in a circle with her small cousins, she rushed to her side, tapping her shoulder to get her attention.

"Do you mind if I take off? Your father is driving you guys to the airport, right?"

"Yeah, my dad's got us covered. It's still so early though, what happened?" Sophia inquired, seeing the distressed look on her friend's face.

"I need to get home to my girl..." the singer lied. "She called asking me to... I'm sorry."

"Ugh, _moms_." the _Chicago P.D_ actress joked, hugging her maid of honor. "Alright, go. You know what to do with Jesse's car, right?"

"Yes: take it back to your place, park it in the garage, lock up."

"Keys?"

"Home."

"Not your set of my house keys, you dork. The car keys. Do you know where they are?"

"Well..."

"Our room, in the bedside table's first drawer."

"Thanks Soph...It was a great wedding."

"It was, wasn't it?" the brunette smiled proudly, bumping her hip against Joy's.

"Absolutely." the blonde beauty replied, preparing herself to leave.

"Hey!" Sophia called out, waiting for her friend to stop and face her again. "Thank you. For everything."

Joy acknowledged her gratitude with a small smile, moving to quickly say goodbye to her former castmates, pick up her bag and Jesse's car keys from the cabin and get on the road.

The singer desperately needed to clear her head and process the turn of events. A wave of remorse washed over her as she reached _Lake Arrowhead'_ s gates and drove past them without looking back. What was she doing? What was he thinking? How was she supposed to handle the storm of different emotions brewing up inside her at that very moment?

Seeing that Jesse's car was running out of fuel, Joy exited the highway to pull up at a gas station. The cool breeze brought her out of the current state of self-induced shock, forcing her to take a deep breath and calm down her heart rate. While the helpful employee filled the gas tank, she turned on the radio, hoping loud music would help drown out the sound of James' words, which were still resounding in her ears.

Skipping through several radio stations, the singer settled for the only one that wasn't playing sappy love songs.

* * *

James stood there, helpless and frozen, as the woman he had professed his affection to walked away from him, quickly disappearing from his sight, back to the ever-growing party in the trellis.

The raven-haired man thought he'd feel crushed if she rejected him but he was surprised to discover that inside him resided a glimmer of hope. The only thing he wasn't sure of was whether it was hope for something more or simply just hope for normality. Maybe he hadn't completely screwed up their friendship. Joy had always been the reasonable one and he knew that, above everything else, they were good friends.

For a moment, while the actor held her face in his hands and their lips were connected in a kiss, he believed her heart had ignited as his did. Perhaps it was just wishful thinking.

Running his fingers through his short dark hair, James let out a deep sigh. The relief he had felt once the words had gone out of his mouth was replaced with concern for Joy. There was no denying his confession had left her stunned and speechless. He fought the natural instinct to hide after his ego was bruised and headed back to the venue, wanting to make sure that she was okay.

As soon as he stepped foot inside, Stephen put him in a headlock, cheering triumphantly.

"My man!"

"Christ, Coletti, let go of me." James grunted, struggling to free himself from his friend's tight hold.

"Damn, dude, I didn't think you had it in you... Thank god you found a pair of _cojones_!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" the actor huffed, untangling himself from Stephen's grasp and scanning through the crowd, looking for Joy.

"You told her! I know you did. She came in here all red and disheveled, telling everyone she was going _home_." his friend stated, making quotation marks using his fingers. "But I saw her sneak into the cabin a few minutes ago. You're fast on track, aren't you, you dirty bastard?" he teased, elbowing James' side.

The raven-haired man slapped Stephen in the back of his head, annoyed at his bad timing and apparent lack of sensibility.

"Okay, okay, I won't make any remarks about your sex life again, chill."

"You said she was at the cabin?" he asked, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Yeah. If you need protection, you know where to - okay, you're walking away. Very polite." the olive-skinned man grumbled, stirring his virgin _Long Island iced tea_ with the small umbrella that came with it. "Angie would be appalled!"

James swung the front door open, after nearly tripping while skipping three steps at a time to get there. The living room was empty, not a flicker of light inside illuminating it, encouraging him to check the bedrooms.

Their room appeared to be untouched, every trace of her presence erased from it. By this time, Joy was probably long gone.

The raven-haired man sat down on the edge of the bed they had slept in the night before, his head deciding to replay the entire weekend again. The laughter, the confessions, the stares, the adoring smiles. Whatever happened from that point on, he'd always remember the way he felt when his lips touched hers, when her big brown eyes looked into his, when her tiny frame fit perfectly in his as they slept.

"James?"

The actor glanced at the door, finding Gus peeping through it with an inquisitive look on his face.

"What's up, little man?" he smiled kindly.

"Are you okay?" the little boy asked, coming in, accompanied by Sophia's three dogs, who ran up to the raven-haired man excitedly, placing their paws on his legs, waiting for him to pet them.

"Hey, guys! Aren't you all fired up?" he laughed at his furry friends, that were now competing for his attention, their tails waving rapidly from side to side. "Yeah, I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Joy left and she looked worried, you came after her and now you're sitting here like you've been grounded."

"You followed me inside to come check up on me?" James inquired, receiving a simple nod in response. "Do your parents know where you are?"

"No... You were walking really fast." Gus admitted, looking down at his feet.

"You shouldn't have done that... Your mom must be losing it by now, buddy. Come on, I'll take you back to the reception." he offered, getting up and leading the seven-year-old by his shoulders, followed closely by their three furry companions.

"I know..." the boy uttered. "Sorry, James."

"For what?" the actor raised an eyebrow, as he accompanied Hilarie and Jeff's son back to the venue.

"I know you like Joy and you're sad she left. I'm sorry about that."

James looked back at the cabin one more time, forcing himself to walk away.

"Me too, Gus. Me too."

* * *

The singer held her daughter's sleeping body in her arms as she hurried inside to get her to bed, struggling to carry her lugagge while she did so.

Giving her mother nothing more than an "I just missed her and I'm really tired" as an excuse to have left Sophia's wedding that early, Joy drove to her house, at two in the morning, wanting nothing more than to be with her girl and her girl only. Back to normality. If everything went back to the way it was before the convention she wouldn't get hurt. She couldn't get hurt. Not again.

Laying Maria on the bed and pulling the covers over her bed, the blonde woman immediately took off her shoes, heading to her room, where she hastily undressed herself, jumping into the shower.

Her beautiful hairdo fell apart as she took off the tiny transparente elastic band that held it in its restraints. Joy's dirty blonde locks cascaded down her bare shoulders, while she washed off the physical remnants of James' touch from the skin he had traced with the tip of his fingers throughout the day.

The burning hot water relaxed her tense back muscles and tired legs, but it couldn't ease her mind. It raced even faster than before, now that there was no music, no sound to be heard other than the antagonistic voices in her head. There were mostly thoughts of incredulity, confusion and denial but, a tiny little voice in the back of her mind reminded her that, before she pulled back, she had lingered on his kiss and reveled in the way his lips felt against hers. Taking a deep breath, the blonde woman got out of the shower, wrapping her dripping wet, naked body in a soft towel.

Running her hands through her damp hair, Joy looked up at the vintage mirror above the washbasin, her eyes meeting her reflection.

"Shit!" she cursed once she saw the black streaks of black eyeliner and mascara staining her cheeks.

The singer had neglected to remove her make-up before taking a shower, which went against every rule she had established for herself when it came to skincare. She took pride in how well she treated her skin and how, at the age of thirty-six, it still resisted the toll time took on most people's complexion.

Taking the make-up remover and a pad from a drawer, applying the baby blue liquid on the cotton, Joy ran it softly all over her face, avoiding to rub it in. Ending her nighttime routine by brushing her pearly white teeth, her hair and then lightly tapping an overnight mask onto her skin, the blonde woman padded to her large, empty bed.

All she could hear was the steady rhythm of her heart, demanding her to feel something. Anything.

Reaching for her phone, buried deep in her _Louis Vuitton_ carry-on, she quickly dialed a number she'd known by heart for years.

* * *

"Hello?" James answered his mobile device, a hint of uncertainty laced in his voice.

"Jamie boy!"

"Oh..." he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose yet again, hearing a raspy, cheery male voice coming from the other end. "Hi dad."

"Gee, no need to be _that_ excited about talking to your old man." his father chuckled.

"Sorry." the raven-haired man muttered, clearing his throat as Robert walked by, obviously determined to do his best to disrupt his call. "It's..." he stopped to take a glance at his wrist watch. "Really late. Is everything okay?"

"It's fine, you know, just playing cards with mom. She's kicking my ass."

"As usual." James teased, now in a lighter mood.

" _Ouch_! Seriously?"

"We all know mom's the best player in our family."

"Yeah... I know..." the older man agreed. "Anyway, just wanted to check in on you. How's the wedding going?"

Rob was now prancing back and forth in front of him, dancing the tango with a non-existent partner. Dipping the make-believe female, he proceeded to kiss "her" passionately, making loud noises as he did.

"Oh James, yes, kiss me. Kiss me right there." the blonde actor moaned, in a pitchy voice.

The raven-haired man rolled his eyes jokingly, stretching his leg to lightly kick his behind as his way of ordering him to go away.

"It's going great, yeah." he answered.

"How's Joy?" Jeff Lafferty proded not-so-subtly.

"Oh, I see what this is about."

"What?"

"Stephen's your mole isn't he? He told you about what happened." James concluded.

Robert stopped fooling around, his curiosity peaking at that very moment, wondering what Stephen had been babbling to James' parents about.

"Well, Stephen keeps Stu posted, and Stuart, as you know, isn't that hard to bribe." his father admitted.

"Did mom make him pizza for dinner?"

"And chocolate chip cookies." Jeff added, glancing at his wife, who was shuffling the cards with her eyes set on him.

"Are you guys still betting on my love life?"

"Of course not!" the older man feigned hurt. "Well...yeah. But you know it's just our competitive nature coming out. We love you and just want you to be happy."

"You guys are hopeless... I'll give you a call tomorrow. Love you." James said softly, hanging up after his dad bid him farewell.

Shoving his large phone in his pocket, proceeding to do the same thing with his hands, he walked around the venue, seeing everybody have a good time from the outside.

The guests continued to go about the celebration, oblivious to the turmoil inside the raven-haired man's head. Should he call her? Text her? The worry he was feeling clouded his judgement as he looked up her number on his phone.

"Nah, you're not doing that." Stephen came up from behind him, grabbing his black iPhone. "I'm keeping this in my possession to stop you from being clingy."

"I was just going to check if she's okay, alright? I might have scared her off."

"Give her time, man. _Joyous_ will reach out to you when she's ready to talk, don't worry."

James showed his friend a small smile, patting his shoulder.

"You're kind of wise at two-thirty in the morning, hu?" he chuckled.

"Call me _Stoda_."

"What is a _Stoda_ , exactly?

"Me as Yoda. Duh!" Stephen explained, as if it were obvious.

"Oh, yeah. Definitely, Step-" the raven-haired man stopped himself, with a smirk. " _Stoda_."

"Mock me all you want, I may become bigger than Deepak Chopra one day."

"I'll hold you to that."

* * *

Bethany Joy Lenz wasn't one to run away. She never turned her back on a challenge or a problem. Nothing made her take a step back, not even the most sticky situation. The singer always grabbed the bull by its horns. But, the morning after one of her closest friends' wedding, Joy felt like the bull had run her over with such violence she swore she had bruises all over her soul. The confusion, the craving of something more, the history she couldn't rewrite. They all took a toll on a soul that had been nearly crushed years ago and, since then, wanted nothing more than peace.

The doorbell rung loudly, announcing the arrival of Abigail Spencer. Having shared a tiny apartment in New York City at the age of nineteen, they had practically watched each other grow up in _the business_. When Joy called her in the early hours of the morning, Abigail could tell by the tone of her voice the conversation they were about to have wasn't supposed to happen over the phone. Wherever they were, whoever they were with, they had always made sure to be there for each other in times of need, and the _Timeless_ actress assured her she'd come over in the morning with breakfast to discuss whatever had happened at Sophia and Jesse's reception.

Rubbing her tired eyes with the back of her hands and looking away from any mirrors she crossed paths with on her way to the front of her house, the blonde beauty used the peephole to confirm it were Abby and Roman who were standing outside, holding several paper bags in their hands. She quickly unlocked the door, opening her arms wide to immediately hug her friend's child.

"What did I tell you about growing up too fast, kid?" Joy queried, kissing his cheek.

"I'm not allowed to go over the speed limit!" the eight-year-old giggled. "Where's Maria?"

"She's still asleep. Why don't you go and tell her it's time for breakfast?" she suggested. "Love your dinosaur pajamas, by the way!"

"Thanks!" Roman called out, dropping the bags he had been instructed to carry inside by the door and running upstairs.

The singer turned to Abigail, one eye closed and a lopsided smile on her face.

"Hey." the brunette greeted her, setting the bags she had brought on the floor.

"HI." Joy sighed, being pulled into a tight embrace.

The two women stayed like that for what seemed like an eternity, finding comfort in a seventeen-year-old friendship. Loud shrieks were heard from the stairwell, letting them know their children were coming down to get their sugary breakfast, followed closely by a very excited Haas. Joy turned to them, placing both of her hands on her hips.

"I was thinking you two could have breakfast in the living room today… _Spongebob_ 's probably on right now… What do you say?"

Maria and Roman exchanged knowing looks, nodding, before smiling up at the singer.

"You're the best, mommy!" her daughter cheered, hugging her legs.

"Alright, lovebug, come on, let's get you some food." she chuckled in response, trying to walk to the kitchen with a six-year-old attached to one of her lower limbs. "You too, Ro."

Heating up milk for the children and handing it to them in colorful mugs, along with the _Lucky Charms_ and donuts Abigail had brought, the blonde actress quickly put the coffee pot on the stove, brewing up the hot beverage to the distant sound of Monday morning cartoons. She then proceeded to go about her normal morning routine, sliding the back door open for her small companion to go outside.

Her friend watched her attentively, picking up the fried dough confectionery from the paper box that rested on the kitchen island and silently devouring it. She knew Joy's coping mechanisms all revolved around keeping herself as busy as she possibly could. The blonde woman eventually stopped running around the room, leaning against the counter and eating without saying a word.

"I need to paint." the singer blurted out after a couple of minutes, picking up her mug and heading upstairs.

"Jesus Christ, Joy." Abigail fretted, going after her.

"What?" she inquired, while washing her face and securing her hair up in a bun.

"You need to tell me what went on last night. You look like you haven't slept at all and you haven't stopped to talk since I got here."

Joy took off her pajama shorts and _Rolling_ _Stones_ t-shirt, putting on a sports bra, her old grey sweatshirt and paint-covered sweatpants, before glancing at her dark-haired friend and gulping down a bit more of coffee.

"Come outside." she replied quietly. "If you need a change of clothes, I have a couple more things I use when I'm painting in my wardrobe. They're the last ones on the right."

Ignoring her friend's offer, the _Timeless_ actress treaded behind her, wondering what the hell had happened for Joy to be this eager to paint just twenty minutes after getting out of bed. Stepping out into the side of the house, where the singer kept her painting corner, she waited patiently as her friend sorted out the colors and picked up a white canvas, which she set up in a wooden rack.

Joy bit the inside of her cheek, dipping the tip of her brush on the glass of water beside her, taking a deep breath before finally saying the dreaded words out loud for the first time.

"James kissed me last night."

The brunette stood there, her mouth wide open and a huge smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"Oh my god, yes!"

The singer stopped mixing the colors in the palette, raising an eyebrow.

" _Oh my god, yes_? That's your take on what happened?"

"Well, yeah! I think you two would make a great pairing." Abigail concluded, observing the way Joy stroked the paintbrush over the canvas. "What went on next?"

"He said he liked me and he gave me all these reasons why... And I froze, like a complete idiot." she admitted, not daring to meet her friend's eyes.

"You froze?"

"Yeah. And when I could finally move I literally ran off."

"Oh, Joy…" the brunette covered her face with her hands. "What the hell? Why didn't you – "

"You know I can't, Abby."

"Why not? Seriously, give me three good reasons why." she demanded. "You don't like him?"

"Of course I do. James is amazing. But I can't- I can't do it again. These past few weeks we've been reconnecting and it's been wonderful but I won't allow it to go any further than a friendship. He just… He just took it too far."

"Oh, come on! Are you twelve? You like him, he likes you. Give it a go!"

"You know damn well why I'm like this! Did you ever stop to think about what I went through for seven years while you're out here fantasizing about a possible relationship between James and I? Hu?" the singer raised her voice, the movements of her brush becoming quicker and more erratic. "I couldn't speak my mind, I couldn't spend my money on whatever I wanted, I was estranged from my parents, my friends. My soul was beat down, pushed around and nearly crushed. I was only left with a tiny amount of strength and I had to will myself to use it to ask for a divorce and raise my daughter on my own. I didn't know who I was anymore. I was a mess! A complete, insecure, mess, dependent on another person's twisted version of love. Do you know what it's like to be belittled by the person you love? To feel so small you could literally vanish? Thank god Maria was too small to remember the person I was becoming back then… When James kissed me, I wanted _more_ and I promised myself not to want _more_ anymore. I am not going to lose sight of who I am. I can't risk having to go through that much heartache again. I won't." she croaked out, her voice shaking with raw emotion.

"James is _not_ Michael. You can't just write a couple of songs about him and pretend like this way you'll forget what you went through. I know it's your therapeutic take on these things, but you can't do that again. You're still hurting, I know. It takes time… it takes _love_. You're so much stronger than you give yourself credit for, you're so brave. You've been through hell and back because of the first man you gave your heart to but I won't let you make that the reason why you deny yourself love from this point on. Joy, you have to let yourself be free. Set yourself free from all the the demons in your past, all the voices in your head that make you believe you shouldn't give a wonderful man a chance to make you hap - well, happier." Abigail pleaded, holding her friend by her shoulders, pulling her away from the half-done picture she had managed to paint while pouring her heart out.

Joy took a moment to let the brunette's words sink in.

"I don't know Abby. What if – "

"Life's too damn short for your _what if'_ s, Ms. Lenz. I know you feel you owe James na explanation, even though you don't. If you do decide to talk to him, and you will, because I know you, you should tell him exactly what you told me..."

"How?" she spoke quietly, feeling like she was a little girl again.

"I don't know... Paint him a picture."


	18. Cage The Songbird

**AN:** HI! It's been so long! I am SO sorry this took me so much time to write. My life has been pretty hectic these past few monts, and as much as I want to write this story sometimes my brain just fails to do its magic. I am truly sorry for keeping you waiting, but this is a very important chapter, with a lot of details towards the end and I really wanted it to be perfect. Hope it is worth the wait. PLEASE leave your reviews. I read them over and over again to will myself to write when I'm having trouble doing it. I love you guys for reading my story. It does mean the world to me (yes, I've said this dozens of times, I know) that you take the time to read and review this little fanfic. Love you guys! I'll try not to take so long on the next one. Well, should I write more chapters? Let me know! THANK YOU. EnJOY.

C xx

* * *

"Okay, so she totally ran out on you?" Stuart asked, not taking his eyes off James' flat screen.

"She left, yes." the raven-haired man replied, while playing a videogame with his little brother.

"You must be a really bad kisser, bro!"

"Shut up." James grumbled, throwing him a pillow.

Stuart chuckled loudly in response, continuing to press down the controler's various buttons, trying hard to beat the usual winner.

"You're a weird dude."

"Hmm?"

"You seem to be really calm about this whole ordeal. I'd freak if I were you." his brother shrugged.

"Really?" James smirked, raising an eyebrow. "And why's that?"

"You do the whole big gesture thing, under the moonlight, dancing to a ginger dude's song and she still decides to sprint like Bolt."

"Christ, Stuart." the raven-haired man chuckled. "You're such a drama queen."

"No, I'm not." his little brother screeched, feigning hurt. "I just don't get it."

"I completely blindsided her with it, I'm not in a position where I can sit and complain because Joy didn't tell me she liked me back. Maybe she doesn't and I totally misread the signs. Either way, I'm not going to ruin everything between us even more by filling her phone with texts and calls."

"Well, yeah, that would take a ton of cool points from you. And god knows your level of coolness is already below zero." Stuart teased. "Aw, damn it!" he moaned, realising James had won the game they'd been playing. "Not fair, I want a rematch!"

"Sorry, little brother. No rematches. You know you shouldn't mess with the _Mario Kart_ all-time champion."

* * *

Joy smiled as Sophia's name popped up on her phone. She hadn't heard from her friend since the _Chicago P.D_ actress had texted her to let her know they had arrived in Italy, safe and sound. Swiping her thumb over the screen, the singer took her phone to her ear, holding it steady with her shoulder so she could continue doing Maria's hair.

"Hey, you!" she chirped, carefully brushing through her daughter's brown locks. "How's Italy?"

"Sunny, warm and dreamy. How's Cali?"

"Eh, you haven't missed much." Joy shrugged, earning a stiffled giggle from Sophia. "What's up?"

Her friend took a deep breath, waiting a few seconds before replying.

"I need you to do me a huge favour..."

"Wait a sec." the mother muttered, placing her phone on her white vanity. "Maria, sweetie, you're ready to go. Why don't you go pick out the PJ's you want to take to your dad's?" she suggested, storing the pink brush back in the drawer where it belonged.

"Okay!" her _mini-me_ chirped, nearly jumping up from the stool she had been sitting on while her zealous mother took care of her hair.

"Hurry before grandpa gets here, honey." Joy warned, picking up her phone again. "Sorry, have to get the kid ready. _He_ 's in town."

"Mmm..." Sophia cringed, thinking about the man Joy had been married to for seven years.

"Yeah... Anyway... What can I do for you, lovebird?" the singer chirped, quickly changing the subject.

"The wedding photographer e-mailed me about needing my approval for the final wedding album before finishing it up and making a couple of copies. I've seen pictures of it, but there's nothing like having the real deal in your hands, right?" Sophia trailed off.

"And..."

"Well, my parents are out of town and you're pretty much the only person I trust to get it done perfectly. You're organised and we have similar visions so... I thought you could swing by the photographer's house slash studio, check out what he's got and let me know so I can give it the thumbs up... Or not. You know, maid of honor duty."

"Oh, wow. You really want to put me in charge of that?" the dirty blonde asked in disbelief.

"Why wouldn't I? You're my sidekick, after all."

"If anything, we're a duo." Joy retorted, jokingly.

"Fine." the _Chicago P.D_. actress conceded. "As half of the most magnificent duo to ever exist, you should definitely help your other half with this very important mission."

"Alright, alright. I'll go through it. Text me the address. Oh and get off the phone! Enjoy your honeymoon!" she demanded.

"You're a life-saver and I do love you so."

"Yeah, I kinda like you too!" the singer joked. "Have fun! Bye!"

Joy hung up, just in time to hear a knock on her bedroom door. Her father peeked through the open crack, his brown eyes meeting with hers while a sweet smile formed on his lips.

"How did you come in?" she inquired, giving the older man a peck on his cheek. "Maria, how many times have I told you not to open the door to anyone?"

"It's grandpa, mommy." her offspring replied coyly, hiding behind her grandfather's legs.

"I can see that." Joy chuckled. "But you should've called for me first nonetheless. You know what they say..."

"Better safe than sorry." Robert and Maria belted out in unison, mischief obvious in their faces.

"Exactly. Go get your things, baby."

Maria hurried away, leaving father and daughter alone, only to come back in a split second, nearly dragging her grandfather out of the house. She knew full-well that before dropping her off at her father's care, Robert Lenz would buy her an extra scoop of chocolate ice cream. Hugging her mother tightly goodbye, the little girl left, secretly worrying that if she'd stay a minute longer she wouldn't be able to leave. Not that she didn't like to be with her dad, but nearly since she was born it had been Joy and Maria against the world, so it wasn't exactly easy to stay apart from her for a week.

The blonde actress watched as they drove away, mentally preparing herself for the oddly quiet week ahead of her. No Maria, nearly no noise. Her heart clenched in her chest, but as much as the two formed an invincible duo, the six-year-old still loved and missed her dad. Joy never wanted to keep her child from seeing her father, even if it meant that she was going to feel like a part of her was gone for seven days straight.

Looking at herself in the mirror, the singer adjusted the white cami top she was wearing, noticing her outfit was missing a key element: earrings. Going out without earrings on was practically the same as going out naked. A pair of gold earrings with a dramatic orange fringe were the chosen ones for the day.

Stroking Haas' fur one more time after putting food on his bowl, Joy left.

She drove in silence, looking out the window from time to time to gaze at the view. It was a beautiful, sunny day in Los Angeles, her favourite kind of day, and she resisted the urge to call the person she had been avoiding for a week, even though she really wanted his company.

James and the kiss the pair had shared at Sophia's wedding wouldn't leave her mind. The actress could push it far back into her brain, but the nagging feeling of longing and endearment always came back. What the hell was happening? Had she let it go too far to back out? Abigail seemed to think so. Somehow, her friend knew she wanted to take a step forward but was too scared to admit so to herself. The conversation that they had had at her house proved exactly that. Joy had to talk to him, sooner or later. She just had to find the courage to do so. To achieve a middle term, to allow herself to be free and feel whatever she felt without guilt washing over her.

Pulling up to a quaint house nearly hidden by a _jacaranda_ _mimosifolia_ and its hundreds of tiny purple flowers, she laughed to herself. Only Sophia Bush could find a photographer that happens to live in the most peculiar, yet most aesthetically pleasing little house in the state.

The dirty blonde actress walked up to the front porch, the amazing scent of the flowers flooding her senses.

As if he had guessed, Simon, the famed photographer, opened the door, greeting her with a cordial handshake.

"Did you have trouble finding my humble abode?" he asked, stepping aside to let her in.

"Not at all, Sophia's pretty good at giving directions. I mean, I don't think she's bad at anything so you'd figure she's like _Google Earth_ or something." Joy chuckled, taking in the way the light came into the house, illuminating the large living room, decorated with dozens of old cameras and framed photographs, all in black and white.

"That she is." Simon agreed, carefully placing the large album in a wooden box, lined with black velvet. "The pictures are all numbered, as well as the pages. Any changes, just write them down. Oh, and the bride asked me to print a few extras for you. They're in the envelope inside."

"For me?"

"Yeah, Sophia picked them herself."

"Oh god, I love her." Joy gushed, her eyes setting on the framed photographs on Simon's walls once again. "Do you mind if I ask you a weird question?"

"Fire away." the photographer shrugged, handing her the slightly heavy box.

"Why do you have all of these photos in black and white?" she inquired, pointing at the walls.

"Ah..." he smiled. "I think that the colour distracts you from what's happening in the picture. Sometimes you are so fascinated by the bright colours that you neglect to truly understand the moment that was captured. The smile of a woman, for example. It doesn't matter if she's wearing lipstick, or if she's got yellow teeth. What I care about is her smile. The way it pulls at the corners of her mouth, the shape of a dimple forming on her right cheek as the lips are parted to show a glimpse of her teeth, stained or not. Black and white allows you to focus on what's really important."

Joy nodded, not knowing what to say in response to such a beautiful way of seeing the tone of an image.

The actress thanked Simon for his time and promised to come back with the final version of the album figured out as soon as possible, only to store the box in her trunk and go about her day, paying her weekly visit to the farmers' market and contacting her agent to know if any interesting gigs had come up.

At the end of the day, as she finally arrived home, the singer almost forgot about the wedding album that laid in her car. Luckily, the bag of fresh vegetables from the farmers' market rested on top of it, so when she grabbed it to take it inside, Joy was reminded of her mission and the pressure of having it look perfect for one of her oldest friends.

Opening the heavy _faux_ leather album, she immediately saw the large envelope which contained the pictures Sophia had for some reason decided to single out for her to keep. Her curiosity made her wonder why, but, as the dedicated friend she was, she decided she'd get the work done first.

The blonde actress had only gone through a few pages, marking a couple alterations to be done, before she saw _it_. A picture of the guests, where she could spot herself with James, well focused right in the centre of the picture. There was a huge smile etched on her face as she looked back at him. That didn't phase her though. It was the look in his eyes and the grin she could now identify as the loving kind on his lips. She remembered now. She had been pretending to know how to tie his bow tie mere seconds before. _"I thought you knew what you were doing?" "I really don't."_

Joy glanced at the white envelope beside her, not resisting the temptation and tearing it up, only to find five photographs inside. They were all in black and white. And they all featured James and Joy.

A photo at the gazebo, when her stomach had growled loudly, asking to be fed and the pair had burst into laughter. A photo of them dancing excitedly to the sound of _I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles),_ jumping up and down as pure enjoyment flooded through them. A photo of him, hanging on every word she said while they ate. A photo of her gazing into his eyes as they briefly swayed to one of Ed Sheeran's famous love ballads. A photo of him, entering the log trellis with a bewildered look and a hint of hope in his eyes.

Simon's words echoed in her head as she looked through the black and white pictures over and over again. Her heart banged inside her ribcage, ready to burst out and find its way to James. It wanted to let him know it was not his fault its owner had ran. It wanted to know if it could finally open itself up to the possibility of love again. It… was probably way over its head.

She took a deep breath. Maybe it was time to face her fears, to voice her concerns, to let _him_ in. Joy knew she had been taking everything light-heartedly because once she let herself care for James, she would be exposed to the heartache and pain relationships can bring along. But now, as her eyes scanned through every single detail of the photos she held in her hands, she wondered if maybe, just maybe, she'd take a chance on him, he could bring back love into her life. He had taken a chance on her at the wedding. Now it was up to her to decide whether she'd do the same.

The singer got up from the table, heading to the pantry to look for the hidden stash of sweets she always kept around for the times when she couldn't think properly. Reaching up to grab the old tin cookie container, she tripped on the canvas she had been considering throwing out ever since her brush stroked it with paint. Joy kneeled beside her latest piece of art, carefully tracing over the outlines of her work with her fingertips.

* * *

"Can you give me James' address?"

"Hey Joy! I'm great, just had meatballs for dinner. Delicious. What about you?"

"Hi. Sorry." the petite blonde cringed at her lack of manners, adjusting her hands on the steering wheel. "I need James' address, please."´

Joy had left the house in a hurry, holding on to the painting under her arm and her car keys in her hand, clinging onto every bit of courage she had in her to go to James' house and talk. The actress had only neglected to remember the fact that she had never been to his house and had no idea where he lived. So, as a grown woman would, she called up one of the only two people she knew for sure was a regular at the Lafferty abode. When that person failed to pick up, she turned to Stephen Coletti.

"You really don't know where he lives?" her former co-worker asked, truly confused. "I thought you guys hung out, like, all the time."

"Yes, Stephen, we hang out all the time and braid each other's hair." she replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "We've been out together a couple of times but never really been to each other's houses."

"How did that never happen? Even _I_ have been to your house." he chuckled to himself, scratching the back of his head.

"We lead different lives, we work, we have other priorities. I have Maria and James had a girlfriend. That's life. Now, would you please stop drilling me?" Joy moaned, driving around without knowing where she should be heading to.

"That's what she said!"

"Oh god, Stephen, did someone drop you on your head when you were a baby?"

"So the legend says."

"Just give me his address before I lose my nerve, okay?"

"What are you going to do? Oh my god, are you going to his apartment with nothing on but a raincoat and stilettos? I'm here for this, you little mynx." her friend spoke excitedly.

"Stephen…"

"Okay, I'll just ask James tomorrow… Go get it, girl!"

"The address."

"Right! He's probably watching _Beaches_ and crying to the sound of _Wind Beneath My Wings_ though. Believe me, you don't need to rush to get to him."

* * *

Bethany Joy Lenz was back on track. Grabbing the bull by its horns wasn't as hard when the bull was _him_. So why was she so nervous? Probably because James had been her friend for over a decade, silently watching out for her with small, but meaningful, acts of kindness year after year. They had looked out for each other and shared hundreds of happy moments together.

His apartment was located on the third floor of a relatively small building, practically on the edge of the city of angels. The elevator ride was spent trying to figure out what exactly she was going to say when or if he opened the door, but, as soon as he did, all that came out of her mouth was: nothing.

James wondered if he was dreaming, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. Was he seeing things or had she just magically appeared at his doorstep as soon as his finger hovered over her name on his cell phone?

"Joy?"

"Hi." she managed to let out, with a slight wave of her hand.

"What are you doing here?" the raven-haired man queried incredulously while holding the door open.

"You know when you said you thought you liked me and that you might actually like me a lot? The whole speech that could've been ripped off from a Nicholas Sparks movie? Well,…"

"I'm not taking it back." James spoke, incredibly sure of himself.

"I don't want you to."

Her words confused him. She had told him, just a few nights before, that he shouldn't have kissed her and had walked away from him after his heartfelt confession. Now, as she stood at his doorstep, with a rectangular canvas in her bare arms, Joy Lenz's words convinced him he was surely dreaming.

Stepping aside, he allowed the petite blonde to come in, noticing that her hair was curly and voluminous, just like it was the first time he had ever set his eyes on her. There wasn't a hint of make-up on her face, but he could swear she'd never looked more beautiful in her life. With Joy he always saw life through rose-coloured glasses.

The actress hesitantly opened her mouth to speak, waiting momentarily for James to gently nod, signaling he was listening.

"I was cleaning up after dinner a while ago and I noticed most of my plates are slightly chipped. I mean, it's completely normal, I've had them since I got married. They're pretty old." she babbled as he listened intently, not wanting to say a word in fear she'd shut him out. "I realise I ran out on you and never really explained why. I know I don't have to, and I know you'd never expect or force me to give you an explanation but I want to. I do. So..."

Joy looked down on the painted canvas, tracing the boards of the metaphorical white china she'd spent hours working on. With another shaky breath, she showed him a small smile before handing him her most recent art piece.

"This is me. I'm a chipped dinner plate. It's who I am now. I will never be the girl you met fifteen years ago at the airport again. She's been through hell. She's been stomped on, pushed around, told to quiet down her voice. That blonde introverted force of nature handed her heart on a silver platter to a man who continuously made her doubt herself. A man who caused scenes because he was jealous of her co-workers. A man who made her feel tiny and like she wasn't worth being loved for who she was. A manipulative man who wanted her to be some sort of a fifty's housewife who wouldn't deny him anything or dare to speak up if she thought he was wrong. That girl isolated herself from her parents and friends because she thought that, by doing so, she was giving him proof that she loved him. But love is supposed to be patient and kind. Love isn't easily angered, it doesn't keep score. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes and always perseveres. What he felt for her wasn't love. He didn't give her the love she needed and deserved. That girl, who had by two thousand eleven become a thirty-year-old woman, managed to escape from the grasp of an entire family because of her daughter, a tiny human being who provided her the strength she craved to break free."

James' heart sunk to his stomach, aching madly as he was given an insight to what Joy, the woman he admired and cared so deeply for, had endured during her seven-year relationship with her ex-husband. He instinctively clenched his fists, forcing himself to refrain from reacting to what she was telling him. The actor could see how her face contorted, trying to conceal her emotions and how her previous relationship still weighed down on her chest. He wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her, but he knew better than to do that. He knew he had to wait for her to finish talking.

"So she did. She let go of him and moved away. But she will never be the same she was before. A part of the person she was is gone. You can't really do anything to recover the piece that is missing. I am chipped but I will never consider myself a victim of my circumstances. It happened, but I'm still here. I'm alive, I'm healthy, I have a beautiful, witty and kind six-year-old daughter whose love knows no limits. I fought long and hard to go back to the person I was before Michael but, at the end of the day, it was senseless. She is not coming back. And you know what? It doesn't matter. I needed the wisdom that came along with the heartache. I am different, but I am stronger. I'm chipped, but I'm not broken."

The determined look on her face told him she meant every word she said. Bethany Joy Lenz now displayed her battle wounds proudly. Her scars let the world know she had struggled, but she had thrived.

"I've built a wall around my heart and I haven't let anyone in since then. I tried to with Wes, I swear I did... I think I wasn't ready. I think that maybe, deep down, I wasn't sure he was the right one, if he could handle all this insane baggage I carry with me. When you kissed me, I wanted to let my guard down. I wanted to stay there with you, under the Summer sky, to tell you I also have something in me that tells me I am slowly, but surely, falling for you. But my first instinct was to run. Eventually, I always do. I've been running for so long, James..."

"Joy, I..." he started, completely at loss for words.

"I'm afraid I'll end up hurting you. I'm afraid things will go wrong. I have a daughter, I owe it to her to be okay, to always be her rock. I can't just close my eyes and go for it. She is my priority, she's my everything. You understand that, right?"

The singer waited in silence as the raven-haired man gathered his thoughts and willed himself to speak.

"Of course I do. I would never, in a million years, ask you not to think of your daughter when it comes to anything. Maria will always be your number one. I am just asking you for a chance to be your number two. Or three. Or even five. I don't care. I just want to make you happy. Walking-on-air happy. Singing-ridiculously-cheesy-love songs-24/7 happy."

"Here." the blonde beauty took one of his hands, which still held the painting, and placed it over her heart. "This is the effect you and your words have on me. And that honestly scares me to death. I should probably be running by now, but..."

"I know, but, Joy, don't." James said as he laid the piece of art gently on his couch. "I know this is a big leap of faith and we have only scratched the surface of each other's deep-rooted emotional issues and, trust me, I -"

He was silenced by her lips, capturing his and pulling him in for a deep, emotional kiss. Both of her hands held his face close to hers, as if the world would end dared their lips to move an inch apart.

"What does this mean?" he asked, regaining his breath while she bit down on her bottom lip.

Joy smiled softly, adjusting the collar of his plaid shirt.

"I don't want to run anymore."


End file.
